Getting the Band Back Together
by PottedCactus
Summary: This takes place three years after the events of "Beyond the Fence". Konstance Lowe was welcomed home a champion. Rumors fly through the Capitol about whether or not he deserved the win, but it blows over soon enough as a new games season begins. Konstance is ready to put it all behind him, but finds that he must face the arena one more time or risk losing someone else to it.
1. Introduction

Hello all, character creators and Hunger Games fans alike!

Nanowrimo will officially begin on November 1st, and I'm super stoked for it! As was the case last year, my goal will be to write, revise, and submit a new chapter every single day in November. Last year, it ended up being every day in December as well, but we'll deal with that if it comes to it. I learned a lot the last time I did this, and I'm looking to improve upon many of the things I felt I did poorly in "Beyond the Fence". I plan on using a lot of unique approaches and viewpoints that I don't believe get enough attention, so that should keep it fresh and exciting. Overall, my goal is to keep the plot coherent, yet completely unpredictable, which is kind of my M.O. in life as well. Go figure.

This is meant to be a continuation of "Beyond the Fence", so many of the characters and events mentioned there will carry over to this one. Without giving too much of the plot away, it wouldn't hurt to go back and read through some of Konstance's chapters in particular. He was the victor, after all.

As was the case last time, this year's tribute pool consists of both user submitted tributes as well as those I have submitted myself. Each of you knows which character you personally submitted- if you submitted a character- but I have intentionally left the contributors for each tribute anonymous. While my filler characters last time were fairly random, this time, the filler characters I submitted have a theme. I will be dropping clues throughout the story hinting at this theme and which characters it applies to. I'm curious to find out whether or not any of you will be able to figure out the theme and which characters it applies to before I reveal it all in the end. I think it's also fair to say that if you figure out either the theme or who my filler characters are, the other one will be much easier to figure out. Think of it as a side quest or a mini-game in addition to the story itself.

I hope you guys are as excited as I am, because this is going to be an awesome month! I look forward to our journey together, and to my fellow Nanowrimo participants out there, good luck and happy writing!

~Oddtom


	2. Tribute List

Current Lineup (updated Oct 26, 2016)

 **D1 - Luxury Items**

Male - Ajax Manzinar

Female - Coralie Milano

* * *

 **D2 - Masonry**

Male - Wolfram Piaget

Female - Silica Vangrum

* * *

 **D3 - Electronics**

Male - Benjamin Tekk

Female - Asper Marvin

* * *

 **D4 - Fishing**

Male - Ian Sinclair

Female - Bekka Jukes

* * *

 **D5 - Power & Electricity**

Male - Edward Appledelhi

Female - Helen Foster

* * *

 **D6 - Transportation**

Male - Jason Spokes

Female - May Stein

* * *

 **D7 - Lumber**

Male - Austin Tindle

Female - Hannah Berrybell

* * *

 **D8 - Textiles**

Male - Joel Holystone

Female - June Lee

* * *

 **D9 - Grain**

Male - Arnold Jaeger

Female - Zephyr Karbowski

* * *

 **D10 - Livestock**

Male - Drake Wilson

Female - Anna Myosotis

* * *

 **D11 - Agriculture**

Male - Caleb Spec

Female - Ignatio Rose Laukannen

* * *

 **D12 - Mining**

Male - Rocco Bonnaro

Female - Jade Stone


	3. Prologue

The display case hung over the mantel, taking up nearly the entire length of the wall. The golden frame was an intricately carved masterpiece of angels and demons at war, accurate down to the most minute details, as if the figures themselves had been frozen in time, mid-battle. From where he stood, the bouncing shadows of the fire light occasionally made the figures appear to thrust their weapons and dodge, in turn.

It was the first time in three years that he ventured down here, and he shuddered at the sight; he forgot how much the thing creeped him out. Not for the first time, he wondered how they were even able to fit a display case of this proportion in a room so small. Was the case built inside this room? Perhaps they simply built the room around the display case? It was the most costly and inefficient way he could think of to do it, but he wouldn't put it past them. How many skilled workers it had taken and how much time had gone into the frame that was now building up dust in the basement of his house? What a waste.

He hadn't meant to pay any attention to the display case at all, but now that he was looking, he couldn't make himself look away. The realistic frame had always bothered him, though not as much as its contents. The plaques shone down from their resting place, beckoning him to approach. Almost without thought, he took several steps toward the case and began reading the inscriptions, though all twelve plaques were nearly identical.

He remembered exactly where he was when he received each. The scenery was different, but it was the same wretched experience every time. Twelve times he stood up in front of a crowd and talked about how brave their tributes had been. Twelve times he spoke these words while the families of the slaughtered stared back at him. Twelve times he was forcefully reminded that twenty-three other people died so that he could be standing there. Twenty-three people. Was it really that many?

He closed his eyes and tried to remember their names. The first that came to mind was Chayonna, her nose buried in a worn out, ragged novel so old that the cover had fallen off and was being used as a bookmark. All of this while holding down Flash, the hot tempered kid who, for all of his talk, hadn't lasted a day in the arena. He could see the small, sly Amagi plucking an apple from the bowl between them with her knife. Then Cassida kicking her district partner out of the train. What was his name again?

He couldn't remember.

He ran his hands across the plaques. So many names and faces that he couldn't remember, or was it that he didn't want to? His hand stopped on the fifth one. He would never forget the sight of those terrified eyes shining through a woven net, pleading to be spared. His hand froze on the plaque, paralyzed by the powerful memories that were only now bubbling up to the surface, each demanding to be experienced at once.

He knew this would happen if he came here, but he didn't expect the emotions to be so powerful. It was overwhelming, like the flood of water over a broken dam. Images of Berton rose from the depths, drowning him, and he could feel the heavy weight of guilt beginning to set in. A younger version of himself may have given into the emotion, withdrawn within it, wrapped it around him like a protective bubble.

But that was a mistake.

He was not that kid anymore. Somewhere along the line, he must have grown up, but it happened so slowly that he couldn't tell the difference. After trying so many things to get over the root of his nightmares, he was only now starting to suspect that the only way to deal with it was to face it head-on and that facing the past is what gave you the power to create your future.

He brought a corner of his shirt up to dab his eyes. It hurt just as much now as it ever did, but he learned long ago that sulking and complaining about something does nothing to fix it. Berton, Chayonna, and twenty-one other people were gone, which may or may or may not have been his fault, but there was nothing he could do to save them now. They were gone and he needed to let them go.

He remembered now why he was here. He was here on a mission; she was counting on him, and he wasn't about to let anyone else down. He rubbed a finger across the lock, wiping away the light layer of dust that formed in the three years since the display case was last opened. His hand swept past the twelve nameless plaques and a video disc, closing around the letter he came for.

The envelope was not meant to last longer than the few days required to deliver it, and the once pristine white surface was now a dull yellowish brown. Despite the protection of the case, the two stamps, each bearing the likeness of a political leader who had since been forced out of power, were a much duller shade of blue than they once were. The stamps were marked with proof of delivery, but the ink was so faded that the only obvious evidence that it had been marked at all was the depression in the page made by the initial press.

Though the rest of the envelope was slowly decaying, the address line seemed immune to time. It was still as dark and clear as if the ink had just dried. In a formal, lavish script that was so decorative that it was almost illegible, read his name, Konstance R. B. Lowe. He pulled the letter from the slowly decomposing envelope and once again read the formal invitation. He read it twice, then three times, as if reading it again would somehow make it easier to bear. It didn't.

The open ended letter was to be replied to at his own time and discretion. With a quivering hand, he fumbled for a pen from the desk drawer and a blank piece of paper, but he couldn't quite find the will to finish the deed. He was brave enough to want to, but not quite brave enough to actually do it. He willed the courage to come to him, for the fortitude to face the past to suddenly appear to him. It didn't.

He stared at the blank page for a long time.

Every moment he stared at it, every time he second guessed himself, the task became more and more difficult until the idea of scribbling a few letters on a page seemed more daunting than taking on the giant lizard again. He wiped the beads of sweat forming over his eyebrows, realizing that if he didn't do this now, then he never would.

He took a deep breath, addressed his letter to the Commissioner of Games, then scrawled across the blank page in a shaky but legible script, "I am ready to accept your offer of employment."


	4. Notes

As I did last time, I'm going to add comment sections on this page for each day's chapter, so check this page for updates when each one comes out. A warning, though: it'll probably contain spoilers about the day's chapter, so make sure to check here only after you've read it.

* * *

 **1** \- I've got all my notes in place, now all there is left to do is write this bad boy. I don't *technically* plan on starting until November 1, but here's a super awesome surprise early chapter. YAY! Konstance seemed like the most neutral place to start. I got so many complaints last year that I was focusing on certain characters more than others, but I think I've addressed that problem for this year. How, you ask? No spoilers... :-)

* * *

 **2** \- Based on a true story. Everyone thinks money is the answer to their problems until they have it. Then, they realize that instead of solving the problems, money just adds even more problems on top of existing ones. It took me a long time to figure that one out, and I have some friends who still refuse to believe it. I'm watching them go through what I had to struggle through, but what can you do? You can't help someone unless they want to be helped, so there's nothing you can do but continue to let them know you're there for them whenever they decide they want to face if. The world is not an easy place to live in, no matter how you hash it. We just have to do the best we can with what we have. I think it's always a shock how abruptly someone can be just gone, and I'm not sure if I really did it justice. Anyway, enough with Konstance- tomorrow we get to the first tribute! Who, you ask? Patience, my friend. All will be revealed in time...

* * *

 **3** \- Happy Tuesday! And our first tribute! Hooray! Why did I start with Silica? Well, she was one of only two characters that weren't submitted to me a month before the due date, for one. The rest were either adapted from the Black Tower story or were submitted within the last three weeks. Come on, guys, I'm not a miracle worker here! Anyway, much thanks to Sakura-Fiction! Yes, I'm revealing that this is a user-submitted character. You still have twenty-three others to figure out. :-)

* * *

 **4** \- I think Marcus Stryker is the closest I have ever come to writing myself into a story as a character, sans the Scotch. (Personally, I think Scotch is disgusting, but I've also been told that you can't really appreciate it until you get used to the kick, so who knows?) Hey, you try writing thirty different characters into your story. Give me some slack here, I was out of ideas. At least now you can get to know a little more about your friendly neighborhood Hunger Games knockoff story author, so there's that. Enjoy!

* * *

 **5** \- So I am self-employed. My job requires me to go to these meetups, fundraisers, galas- and whatever else you want to call them- to win over clients and project bids. Konstance is more or less me when I first got the job and Marcus is more or less me now. I can't tell you how many of these things I have been to over the years, and I swear to the great flying spaghetti monster that all of this stuff is true. No, really. They are literally called "conversational dances". It's definitely a thing. I know, right?

* * *

 **6** \- Enter Brutus. There's not much to say about this one- I almost didn't include it at all, but I think it helps to establish the relationship between the three mentors before we get into the games. Speaking of, the first reaping is in two days, so get ready!

* * *

 **7** \- Bonus chapter! I know it's short, but... bonus chapter!

* * *

 **8** \- Oh, look, another Silica / Konstance chapter. This guy knows there are other tributes, right? Why does he keep writing about the same old boring tribute? I bet Silica is going to be the victor since it's all he's focusing on. I bet I can judge this entire story based on the first few chapters. :-) You guys are great! I love you all! Patience, bro- I will get around to your character, I promise. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Sit back and enjoy the story. What's the hurry? In a few weeks, you'll be looking back at this like "OH, it all makes sense now!", I guarantee it. Tomorrow will be the conclusion of Part 1 as we move into the training sessions, and we'll finally get introduced to a few more of these characters. I'll see you then!

* * *

 **9** \- And that concludes Part 1! To give you an idea of what that means, this whole story has six parts all of about more or less the same length. The next part will consist mostly of training sessions, and we will get to know a lot more of these characters. The games officially start with Part 3, then there are three more segments after that which will also cover the events of the games.

* * *

 **10** \- I want to make a slight note about June's comment "Conscience doth make cowards of us all". It is part of Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy, and he's basically saying that our fear of the unknown is what makes us afraid to die. At this point, June is already very much aware that her death is imminent. When she decides to trust Joel, it's not necessarily due to anything he says, but the realization that this intense fear is getting the best of him, and with that fear tempered, he is probably not so bad. Or, as she says it, "promising enough to cultivate.

* * *

 **11** \- Happy Tuesday again! There are a lot of parallels between Austin and Wolf, and I tried to make them apparent. Just like last time, there are all sorts of parallels that can be drawn between these characters, even though all of them were submitted separately. I think even with random polling, this would always be the case. It's something I don't think the original book did a great job of of. With all the netting and spearing Marvel did, you'd think there would be at least one reference to Finnick Odair. I think even making Rue a substitute for Prim was kind of a cop-out; I feel it would have been better if Rue had also been a big sister that had to take care of her family. That way, when she died, you could use that moment to give Katniss a much needed reality check that it is absolutely possible for her to die in the games as well, something the book really needed. Despite being stuck in the tree, attacked with fireballs, or werewolves, you never really get the feeling that she is in any real danger. It's a critical piece I think the book missed, but that's just my humble opinion. :-)

* * *

 **12** \- Shakespeare plays are like languages in that everyone has one in particular they're kind of familiar with because they were forced to learn it in high school. It's funny that these things that were forced on us tend to become part of who we are. My two are Hamlet and Japanese.

* * *

 **13** \- From a writer's perspective, this plan that Austin has is the perfect way to introduce the other characters. I mean, it's kind of an awesome unique plan anyway, but it works as the perfect writing tool as well.

* * *

 **14** \- This is by far the biggest hint I have given for the true nature of any of the characters I submitted. Two of them, actually, though the second is a far more obscure reference. If you didn't catch them, no worries. I have plenty more clues I plan on dropping over the next week or so. :-)

* * *

 **15** \- Whoops, got a little busy there, but I'm back now. I just picked up a second job, so I might start posting a little more irregularly, but I'm not going to give up on this thing until it is done. Slow and steady, right? Cool.

* * *

 **16** \- For those of you out there planning on going pre-med (it's a tough road, but totally worth it in my humble opinion, especially once you get into protein folding and toxicology), there are a lot of things that can cause coagulation (basically blood clotting), but in this case, when Type A blood mixes with Type B blood with anti-A antigens, clumping will occur. The whole coagulation cascade and tissue factor pathway is actually a pretty cool process that works like a domino effect, where Hageman factor (a serine protease) triggers plasma thromboplastin (an antecedent serine protease), which triggers the "Christmas factor" (also a serine protease), which triggers the "Stable factor" (another serine protease), which triggers the fibrin stabilizing factor (a transglutaminase) and platelet membrane phospholipids, and that's only the contact activation pathway for blood that contacts the air. There's a completely different pathway for tissue damage (bruises) that involves the "tissue factor" that triggers prothrombin, then thrombin, then fibrinogen, then fibrin, then a clot via the "fibrin stabilizing factor". This is actually how blood typing works, and the Rh factor can be determined in a similar manner. When I worked with Blood Assurance, we added a drop of anti-Rh (anti-D) serum to the blood and placed it on a warming pad, which is supposed to speed up the agglutination reaction. (The more you know!)

* * *

 **17** \- Happy Thanksgiving! You get a really long chapter today because I didn't have to work.

* * *

 **18** \- I have so much I want to write about, but I have to pick and choose what to put in and keep this thing moving. It's so hard to choose what to include and what to omit, because I love it all! These characters are all just so awesome, but this is a Hunger Games fanfic, so I'm gonna have to get to the games eventually, I know, I know. Maybe I'll come back later and write some alternate endings or filler chapters. We'll see how I'm feeling at the end of all this.

* * *

 **19** \- The irony here is that an arena where they dropped everyone off and let everyone drown is actually a canon arena for the games that Annie won. Also, my birthday was yesterday. YAY! Thinking back, I don't think there was a single point during this month when I didn't want to write more. At about this point last time, I was dragging, but this time around, I can't wait until I have more time to write, which is an interesting contrast. I think that says a lot about the quality of the characters you guys submitted, so thanks for that. Also, I caught a Gastly today and I named it Zephyr. It's not really relevant at all to the story, but whateves.

* * *

 **22** \- I have a few more chapters in the works, but I'm about 5,000 words short of completing the Nanowrimo competition and I'm bored, so what the hell, let's go ahead and get this party started. So, funny story: I live in Seattle at the moment, but Manhattan is one of my old stomping grounds. The Upper West Side to be specific. A few months ago, I flew back there to see Hamilton (one of the only plays I've seen that is even better than the hype. If you get the chance to see it, take it!) Anyway, I was sitting in Columbus Circle right outside the Time Warner Center waiting for the crosstown bus, and I looked up saw this golden statue across from me. Columbus Circle, by the way, is this giant roundabout on the edge of Central Park, but I was looking across at this circle and the golden statue, and it was in this moment that I knew exactly what I wanted the arena to be.

* * *

 **23** \- Oh snap! Heh, writing is weird. One moment, you're telling a story and the next moment you're researching how much force it takes to crush a human skull. The guys at Google must think I'm a serial murderer who happens to like kickboxing, but also knows the proper way to hold a teacup and must have super stylish silky hair.

* * *

 **24** \- OH SNAP! Yes, these chapters are short on purpose. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to drop these bombs on you all. No idea.

* * *

 **25,26** \- I know I'm kind of hitting all over the board here with these chapters, but it's kind of a therapy for me. It is impossible to write about a character going through something that you don't understand yourself. I'm not saying that Joel is a personal friend of mine or anything, but know that any of the feelings or reactions that any of the characters I write about go through, I can only express because I understand them so well myself. Austin's massive preparation only to be done in by a puddle of water stems from my experience with life undermining me in one fell swoop. Silica feeling like an imposter among the careers stems from my feeling that I am still just a kid living in a world full of adults. June's feeling that she ruined her life by making a stupid decision in her youth stems from my own struggles in dealing with a choice I made long ago to convince someone to get an abortion. Joel's resolution to kill June, and his trauma afterward stems from how I felt when I had to physically cut off all contact with my best friend because she was being emotionally abusive. All of it, _all of it_ , comes from somewhere deep within me looking for a way out. I have experienced or am experiencing all of the things these characters are going through to some extent myself, and writing about them is a way for me to get it all out. One of the biggest struggles for me right now is that I'm hurting so badly, and the depression is so heavy, and I'm working _so_ , _so_ hard to fight it, but for me, fighting really hard against all of this pain appears on the outside to level out as normal, so nobody seems to notice or acknowledge just how hard I'm trying, and it kills me. So if these chapters come off as heavy, it's because that particular subject or feeling is affecting me. That's all.


	5. Konstance

**Part 1: Worlds Collide**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

The globe spun under his outstretched hand, the patterns of blue, green, and brown blurring together into a dull, monotonous grey. It rattled on its axis with every revolution, a defect caused by the slight miscalculation of dimensions by its original manufacturer, and made worse by use well beyond its intended expiration date.

The hand, callused by years of gripping the hilts of various weapons, lowered until it made contact with the spinning surface. There was a soft hissing sound, and the tempo of the rhythmic rattling sounds slowed. The once grey landscape gradually evolved into a more clear division of land masses and oceans until the globe stopped entirely. His thumb came to rest on a mountain range that abruptly jutted up from the surrounding landscape before dropping back down just as quickly to meet the ocean.

Beyond the globe, the neatly arranged rows of identical wooden desks sat undisturbed. Though the room would soon be filled with the sounds of chairs scraping across tile and the flutter of books and bags as students made their way into class, for the moment, the room was quiet.

Konstance returned his attention to the globe, studying the oddly shaped landmasses for a short time before setting it the whole thing back in motion. With a flick of his wrist, the contours once again blurred into a dull, solid grey.

If you asked him a year ago what profession he thought he would enter, you would likely have received a glare or perhaps a wistful sigh, depending on his mood. As a teenager, he never really gave much thought to his future. It seemed too far away to really worry about, and yet here he was sitting behind the teacher's desk, watching the world spin before him.

The future arrived much faster than he was prepared for, due in no small part to his decision to volunteer as tribute for the games three years ago. After his victory, everything changed. His widespread popularity and status as a victor meant that he could no longer live invisibly, as he'd grown accustomed to. It didn't help that he was one of the most highly favored victors to ever come from District 2, though he never really understood why. Nobody seemed to like him before, and afterward, he didn't feel like anything particularly changed. Why would things be any different now? He didn't understand it, but that didn't make it any less true.

After his victory in the games, he was endlessly approached by employers hoping to reap the benefits of hiring one of the district's most popular victors. He turned them all down, instead opting to silently reap the monetary benefits from the Capitol and live in peace.

But that isn't how life works.

For a time, he managed to avoid society, but it wasn't to last. Time continues and life goes on, whether you want it to or not, a lesson Konstance would quickly learn. When he wasn't haunted by memories of the arena or drowning them out with a variety of high end Capitol drugs, he was, simply put, bored.

In the end, it was mostly this boredom that most influenced his decision to become a teacher.

The academy was thrilled to welcome a victor, let alone one of the district favorites. To his surprise, few of the academy's instructors had actual combat experience. The victors that didn't go insane after their time in the arena tended to withdraw from society after their ordeal.

It was almost too easy. The academy filled out the paperwork for him, and, before he knew it, he found himself standing at the front of a lecture hall full of wide-eyed students, chalk in one hand and lecture notes in the other, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For five mornings every week at precisely nine o'clock in the morning, the students filed into the classroom, took their seats, and he gave a lesson on Introduction to Self-Defense. In the beginning, he only hoped that teaching would satisfy his boredom, but he never imagined that he might actually like doing it. After all the disappointments in his life thus far, it seemed almost too much to hope for, but, as it turned out, he did like it. It's funny how these things work.

The nine o'clock bell rang, and the desks began to fill up. As he did nearly every morning, he looked out at all of his students, and they looked back at him with blank, expectant expressions. He could remember back when his face used to hold the same blank expression, and he smiled, thinking that this must be exactly how he used to look all those years ago. It's funny, he thought, when you were just one of the class, you tended to forget that the teacher could actually see you.

Konstance turned to the board and began his lesson. Starting up was always the most difficult part, but once he got into a groove, it was easy. There was something about the predictable monotony of teaching that he found oddly soothing.

It hadn't always been this way, though. In the beginning, he was a nervous wreck. The first time he tried to teach a class, he stuttered, he repeated himself, he fumbled around with his notes, and he often completely forgot what he was about to say. Within the first five minutes, nobody was even paying attention anymore, their gazes moving instead to the world outside or to the doodles now being drawn in the margins of their notebooks. Konstance tried to keep his composure as each of the students began blatantly ignoring him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he could see exactly what they were doing. He had half a mind to just close the book and walk out, but he soldiered on anyway.

He initially planned to cover five topics during the lesson, but he was so afraid of burning through the material that he spent thirty minutes on the first one, then had to blast through the other four in a confusing rush just to fit them all in. Not that anyone was paying attention anymore at that point. Konstance went home that day feeling like an utter failure.

In time, he began to realize that teaching wasn't something that people could automatically do, but it was a skill that had to be practiced and perfected. He wasn't the smartest person or the most eloquent speaker in the district, but he knew what he was talking about, and that, at least, was respected. In the end, he found that teaching was simply the process of getting the knowledge out of his head and into the heads of his students.

With practice, he got better at managing the material. As he taught the same lessons over and over, it became a sort of muscle memory, and he didn't have to worry as much about all the little details. Though the students bolted out the door as the bell rang, as if the building were burning to the ground around them, they were always back the next morning with blank pages and a pen in hand. Whether or not they ever said it- or even realized it- these kids needed him, and it felt nice to be needed.

Today's lesson covered one of his favorite techniques. Pioneered by one of the first victors, it was a common method he tended to fall back on when he was in a bind. Pulling out a pair of sais, he slowly went through the motions, describing his actions as he went along. With the move set thoroughly explained, he began a physical demonstration. He approached the globe, took his fighter stance, and stared down his opponent.

The globe stared back.

It had manic, piercing eyes and wild red hair, unkempt from days of sleeping on the bare, soggy ground. He felt lianas draping on his shoulders and he could smell the subtle perfume given off by various tropical flowers. He was back in the arena, and facing him was none other than Cassida Callero. She pounced at him, jabbing with her sword, and he struck back.

There was a collective gasp from his students as he hit the globe much harder and swifter than he originally meant to. On impact, it sheared cleanly straight through a large island that may or may not have been part of Panem. The top half of the globe detached and flew, spinning, across the room until it clattered into the far wall. The bottom half shuddered for a second before tipping over and unceremoniously rolling off the table, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

A few students clapped, but most were silent, staring in awe.

Konstance was more surprised than any of them. His breathing came in rapid spurts and his heart was pounding. He looked down at his left hand. The metallic stubs replacing the fingers Cassida sliced off reassured him that he was no longer in the arena. He was in a classroom, teaching students. He looked up at them and smiled.

"I guess I don't know my own strength." The class laughed with him.

The rest of the lesson continued without incident, but Konstance was a bit shaken. He hadn't had such a realistic flashback since the months following his victory. He thought that stuff was behind him, but even now, he knew that was a lie. Something inside him was unsatisfied, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. Something about his life just felt wrong.

He wasn't exactly happy, but he felt like he was well on his way there. Sure, his life turned out to be a bit different than what he imagined it would be as a kid, but he was doing the best he could with it. It wasn't anything like he once planned or hoped it would be, but it turned out all right anyway. His life was a good life. There were a great many things that he was challenged by and survived, and he was grateful for it.

There was a knock on his door, and he looked up. He was surprised to find that, of all people, the principal was paying him a visit. He was even more surprised to hear that he had a visitor in the main office.

"Who is it?", Konstance asked. He genuinely could not think of anyone who would have a reason to bother visiting him at all, let alone during work hours.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but..." The principal grimaced. "It's your father."

His surprise turned to curiosity. It had been a long time since Konstance last talked to his father- not since their argument in the Victor's Village- but he didn't want to think about that. He followed the principal to the main office, wondering just what would possibly bring his father to come visit him here.

As Konstance entered the office, his face fell. Though his back was turned to him, he could see that it wasn't his father that was paying him a visit. It was his step-father. His confusion became anger. What was he doing here? After all that happened the last few years, he had the nerve to show up out of the blue and expect everything to just be okay? He was about to put these thoughts into words, but caught himself as he noticed something that stopped him in his tracks.

His step-father was crying.

The anger gave way to fear. Whatever was happening here was beyond their previous domestic disputes. Something was wrong. Something was very, terribly wrong, and he was afraid of finding out exactly what. Part of him wanted to turn around and walk right back out the door, content in his own peaceful little world, never knowing what his step-father might have to say. Let him sort out his stuff on his own. Konstance felt that he finally found his place in life. He was finally starting to be happy again. He didn't need this. Not now.

Before he could ask, his step-father answered his question. "It's your mother." He stated it calmly, but he was obviously choking back tears. "She's... she's..." Before he could finish the sentence, he broke down crying again. But it didn't matter. Konstance already knew what he was going to say.

He didn't have to say it, but he did. Between choked sobs, he managed to finish the sentence. "She... she passed away last night. I'm so sorry."

Just like that, the carefully balanced world Konstance spent the last few years building for himself came crashing down around him.


	6. Konstance II

**Chapter 2**

The funeral was held a week later. It was a bright, sunny day in stark contrast to the somber mood of the event. He always assumed it rained at funerals, but then again, this was the first funeral he ever actually attended. He almost hadn't come at all, but one thing persuaded him to attend. There was a certain gold band he borrowed a long time ago, and he felt it was about time he returned it to its rightful owner.

"Hey, Bethany." It was the first time he'd said her name in two years.

Bethany looked up at him, confused for a moment before her eyes widened with recognition. "Konstance... I didn't think I would see you here today. I almost didn't recognize you. It's been so long..."

"I know, it really has. Sorry about that. I've just been busy, I guess."

She nodded. "Busy is good. I think it's better than the alternative. How have you been?"

"I'm doing all right. I'm a teacher now, so that's kind of fun. The pay is terrible, but it's not like money's really a problem anymore..." Konstance winced, remembering who he was talking to. With all the time he spent in Victor's Village, he almost forgot that money was still a big problem for some people. He was afraid he'd come off as arrogant, but Bethany laughed at his grimacing expression.

"That's good to hear. You sound happy. I'm glad." She ran her fingers through her hair. "We've all been worried. I've heard stories of what victors have done to themselves after they get back..."

"I'm fine, really. You shouldn't worry."

"I believe you." They stared at each other for a moment. "It feels like you're a completely different person now. You never used to talk so much."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's a good thing. I like it." She smiled, then turned away. "The games were hard on all of us. I know you couldn't see it because you were actually there, but things are so much different now. It changed all of us." She looked around at the people in attendance, then back at Konstance. "I'm not pretending to understand what you went through, I just want you to know that you weren't alone there. We were with you the whole time, all of us."

"Thanks, Bethany." He struggled to think of something more to say. "So... how have you been?"

"Oh, I'm fine. No need to worry about little old me. I just got this job down at Boxer's jewelry shop mounting stones. It's super hard work, but it's kind of fun thinking about all the people who are going to be happy when they open the box and see what I've made for them. It makes it all worth it."

"That actually reminds me..." Konstance dug into his pocket and pulled out the golden band. His token had somehow survived the arena and the aftermath, and now he held it out to the girl who gave it to him when he volunteered for the games three years ago.

When she recognized it, her eyes filled with tears. "Konstance..."

"I don't think I ever thanked you for all that you've done for me. Not just the games, but before. You were always there for me, even though I didn't always treat you like-"

She surged forward and enveloped him in a hug. It caught him off guard, and he held his hand up awkwardly, unsure of what to do with them before embracing her in turn. "I don't know if you meant to leave it with me that day or if you just forgot about it, but I'm glad you did. I think... I think it's what pushed me through all of it. Not just the arena, but... well, everything."

Bethany released him and took a few steps back, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "Honestly, I didn't know what happened to it. I thought..." She shook her head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. I'm glad you came today, Konstance." She slipped the golden band on her finger and held it up, staring at it. "You know... it feels like I work all the time now", she dropped her hand and looked at him. "But I have Thursdays off if you ever want to hang out sometime. It could be just like the old days."

Konstance shook his head. "Even if I did, it wouldn't be like the old days. I don't think it can ever be like that again."

"It's funny that you, of all people, would say that. It always seemed like you were the one stuck in the past." She wiped the last tear from her cheek. "No, I guess you're right. It wouldn't be like the old days, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing." She smiled at him. "We could just pick up where we left off. A lot of stuff has happened since you left. I'm sure you have some really good teacher stories too, and I'd love to hear them."

Konstance smiled. "I'll think about it."

He almost hadn't come here today at all, but after his talk with Bethany, he was glad he did. The thought of once again having to deal with his step-siblings, or any of his relatives for that matter, was enough for him to want to spend the entire day locked inside his house. However, it was turning out not to be nearly as bad as he imagined it would be. For all the people that once claimed to be part of his "family", there were surprisingly few people here.

When he first volunteered for the games, Konstance didn't truly think he would be coming back. The whole point of volunteering was to remove himself from the household so he would no longer be a burden to his step-family, but winning the games threw a wrench into those plans. He thought the larger house and increased wealth would relieve the tensions between them, but it was exactly the opposite. All of a sudden, his family grew ten-fold. Relatives from both sides of the family came out of the woodwork, all hoping to stake some claim in his newly attained fortune. Step-siblings, in-laws, cousins twice removed, and anyone else who thought they had a decent claim to a piece of his wealth began to send him letters and bump into him on the streets, as if they had always been best buddies. The biggest decision of all was who would get to move in with him.

It was a nightmare.

His mother and father had been divorced so long that their separation was normal to him. It was so normal that he found it strange whenever he saw someone else's parents in the same room together or even talking to each other. It just wasn't natural. Despite this, he'd never really had to choose between them, at least not in a way that had such dramatic consequences. It was an impossible choice. He loved them both, just in different ways.

The decision tore him apart.

To make matters worse, they both insisted that he choose the other in a war of self sacrifice. They both told him that it would be okay no matter what he chose, that they would not judge him whatever choice he made, but he knew that they both cared deeply, and it didn't relieve the stress of the decision at all. In the end, to prevent showing favor to either, he decided to choose neither of them. It was his own form of self sacrifice. He wouldn't have to choose favorites and they would no longer have to worry about him. It was the only acceptable choice he could think of. Afterward, he withdrew from all of them, refusing to answer phone calls and sending messengers away. He stopped visiting the town, restricting himself to his house in Victor's Village. He told himself that it was better this way, that they were better off without him around to make things more difficult than they had to be.

"You're welcome home anytime. I want you to know that." The voice jolted him out of his thoughts. He was back at the funeral. His step-father's eyes were red and his smile was worn. "It's... it's what she would have wanted." His step-father gazed over to the closed coffin, then back at Konstance. "But it's what _I_ want too. I don't feel like you ever really gave me a chance, Konstance. I was never anything but loyal to your mother, and to you. I don't know why you never accepted me, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, even if she can't be anymore."

Konstance wasn't sure what to say.

"She blamed herself that day you volunteered. She always thought it was her fault, that she could have done something different. She thought she must have done something wrong to make you want to leave so badly. I told her it wasn't her fault, but I don't think she ever got over it. Then when you got back, you were always so distant. I mean, you were always distant, but it was worse, like you were never there, even when you were."

"I know, Ed." Konstance couldn't look into his step-father's eyes. "I haven't been very fair to you, and I'm sorry." Konstance was surprised to hear the words coming out of his mouth, and even more surprised at how true they felt. "It's just been... difficult. I know I've been kind of a pain, and you don't deserve that. I'm sorry."

He half expected Ed to blame him or be mad, but he just nodded and accepted the apology. "Thank you, Konstance. You don't know how much that means to me."

Konstance looked up at the brilliant blue sky. "It's funny, when I heard those trumpets, I truly thought I was dead..." His gaze moved to the spot where his mother now lay. "...and you know what?" He turned back to Ed. "I was _happy_. I was finally done with this wretched life. I would never be a bother to you, or anyone. Berton could go back to his family, and everything would be okay. When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital bed. They told me I won the games, but I couldn't believe them. It didn't make any sense. Why was I alive? What was so special about me? Why did I survive while twenty-three other people died? It just didn't make any sense."

Ed nodded. "Dying is easy. It's the living that's hard." He put a hand on his shoulder. "Konstance, you aren't a bother to us. You've never been a bother to us, and I doubt you ever will be. If anything, you've been the light that guides our family, victor or otherwise."

Konstance shook his head. "I'm not a victor. Sure, they say it, and they let me live in the village, but it's all just a big misunderstanding. I'm not one of them. I'm just a regular guy. I'm not particularly strong or smart or special, and it's only a matter of time before they realize it and kick me out."

Ed raised a curious eyebrow. "Is that really what you think?"

Konstance nodded. "It still doesn't make sense to me. I feel more myself when I'm teaching than when I'm doing anything else. I really like teaching those kids. It's the only thing I ever look forward to anymore..."

"About that...", Ed scratched his head. "Can I ask you a question, Konstance?"

"Yeah, sure."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you teaching all these kids to fight? You know what it's like in that arena more than anyone. Hell, when I was watching you getting chased by those monsters, I felt like I was right there with you-"

The words triggered something, and all at once, Konstance snapped. "Don't tell me you know what it was like! You will _never_ know what it was like! Nobody will ever understand what it was like!" He couldn't stop the words from coming out, but he immediately regretted it. Various heads turned in their direction, and Konstance shrunk down. He stared at the clumps of grass, embarrassed by his own outburst. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. I just-"

"No, Konstance. You are right. I can't possibly know what you've been through. I didn't mean it like that. All I meant was..." Ed looked back over at his wife's coffin. "Is that really what she would have wanted?"

There it was again. Konstance could feel it. That little voice deep inside telling him that something was wrong, that something in his life just wasn't quite right. "What do you mean?"

His step-father's tone grew more serious. "I know you like teaching at the academy, but... do you think she would be proud of a son that trained people to die in that arena?"

Konstance balked. It was something he'd never thought of before, but his step-father wasn't wrong. He couldn't deny it. For the first time, he could see himself from the outside.

"She talked about you all the time, even when you cut us all off. You should know that we never cared about the money or the fame or any of that. We cared about you, Konstance. That's all that ever mattered. Just you."

It was more than Konstance could bear, and, all at once, his emotional dam burst. His stoic composure shattered as all the tears he held back over the last three years came out all at once. He collapsed, but his step-father caught him, and held him close. Konstance felt like a child again as he sobbed. "It isn't fair! It just isn't fair!"

"No, it isn't fair, Konstance. The world is full of injustice. That's how it is. That's how it has always been. It's how we choose to react to this truth that makes all the difference. Holding a grudge and complaining doesn't fix anything. If we have the time to complain, why wouldn't we use that time to fight these injustices instead?"

"But how?", Konstance sobbed, "I can't stop the games. I can't keep those kids from dying."

"No, you can't. Not right now. Not from where you are."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if you want to be a teacher, that's fine, but if you want to honor her memory, do something that would make her proud. Do everything in your power to fight these injustices, no matter what it takes. Yes, it is difficult, but don't ever give up; you are not alone. When it is too much to bear, we will help you through it." Ed smiled. "I believe that there is a reason you are still here with us. I can _feel_ it. You were meant for something so much more, so much greater, we just don't know what it is yet. However, I _can_ tell you that the first step is to stop teaching them to fight each other and start teaching them to live."


	7. Silica

**Chapter 3**

Silica hated Tuesdays. Nothing good ever happened on a Tuesday. It was too late in the week to feel the freedom of the previous weekend, but too early to start looking forward to the next one. She dreaded her imposed embroidery lessons almost as much as the subsequent violin lessons. There were fewer things she found more tedious than playing the same scales over and over again. Worst of all, Tuesdays were always lecture day in Introduction to Self-Defense. She knew it because Professor Lowe never changed the schedule, it was the same predictable, boring thing week after week. At least they were never surprised with a pop quiz, or worse. The class was the only thing she ever looked forward to, but on the one day of the week she felt most like beating someone up, it was lecture day. Nothing was worse than a Tuesday.

She spun a pencil around her thumb and watched as rain pattered the windows, creating ghostly shadows across the empty desks. Despite her boredom, she found the soft sound of rain against the windows soothing. All was calm in classroom eleven.

A bag slammed down on the desk next to her. "Good morning!"

Silica didn't even have to look up to know who it was. "Morning, Opal."

"Shhh!" Opal frantically looked around, half expecting someone to be listening over her shoulder, but the room was as empty as it always was this time in the morning. "You can't call me that here!"

Silica held up her hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, _Jane_. Your friend _Penny_ humbly apologizes." She thought the pseudonyms distasteful. It's not like anybody else had to pretend to be a commoner to simply attend school. At any rate, there were a million other names Opal could have given her instead of "Penny". What a dull name. "I don't get it", she said. "Why do we have to use fake names just to attend class? It's stupid."

Opal ignored her. "More importantly, where is Professor Lowe? He's usually here early, isn't he?"

Silica pulled her attention away from the rain to look up at the front of the classroom. As Opal pointed out, their professor, who was here so often you could almost mistake him for a permanent fixture of the room, was distinctly absent. Silica shrugged. "I guess he's running late today. Probably the rain. Whatever."

Silica didn't understand all the hype surrounding Professor Lowe. Sure, he won the games a while ago, but only because that other boy killed himself. It's not like he _actually_ won; he just kinda got lucky. Honestly, she thought he was kind of strange. All the other professors tended to avoid him, but he either didn't notice or he didn't care. He had an office of his own, but he preferred to spend most of his breaks in the classroom. It was weird. As nine o'clock approached, the room began to fill up with students, but Professor Lowe remained absent.

"Well I hope he isn't too late", Opal pouted. "He's basically the only reason I show up to this class."

Silica rolled her eyes. "Yes, you have made your man-crush on our teacher very clear."

At the front of the class, someone cleared his throat. It was the principal. "Please excuse me, but something has come up with Professor Lowe, so I will be filling in until he can return. Can somebody please tell me where you left off last time?"

Silica groaned along with several other students. First rain, then it's lecture day, and now Professor Lowe was skipping class? This was bad, even for a Tuesday. She rested her cheek on her palm and stared out the window, watching as the drops of water gathered on the glass, built in size, then streaked down to the bottom of the sill.

Opal poked her with a pencil. "Look at you Miss Mopey. What's going on with you? You've been sighing nonstop all week. What's going on in that little head of yours?"

Silica stroked her diamond wedding ring, then looked back at Opal. "Do you ever think about leaving Jerry?"

"What? Divorce my husband?" It wasn't quite what Opal was expecting to hear. "No, not really. Why?"

"I don't know. Just thinking."

"Even if I did, how would I support myself?"

"I'm sure there are ways. You could fake your own death and make a new identity. There are girls among the commoners that take jobs. Some of them don't look that hard. I could bake cakes or something. I don't know."

Opal was silent for a moment. "This isn't about me, is it?"

Silica stared back out the window. "You know, when I poisoned the guard's tea, nobody ever found out it was me. Nobody suspected the dainty Silica would be capable of such a thing."

Opal was getting nervous. "Silica, I know Rome isn't the greatest of guys, but let's be realistic. The guards are replaceable. Rome is your husband. You're not thinking of..."

Silica didn't respond, so Opal continued, "I know you and Rome are going through a rough patch, but I think that's all it is." She sighed heavily. "What are we going to do with you? You've always had such grand ideas, but how often have any of them ever worked out?"

Silica nodded silently. She did, in fact, have a grand idea. It was much grander than simply poisoning her husband's tea. It was so grand that she was embarrassed for even thinking of it, let alone telling Opal about it. Even if she did find the courage, she didn't know how she would even pull it off, but she was never one not to try.

"That look worries me. I know you're plotting something, and you're probably going to do it no matter what I say, aren't you?"

Silica didn't answer, so Opal put a hand on her shoulder. "Look... if it really is that bad... just... promise me that you'll think before you do anything rash, okay? Make whatever decision you think you'll regret the least, and I'll back you up all the way. I trust you. You're my best friend; I'll support you no matter what. We'll get through this, okay?"

Silica nodded. It wasn't the confirmation she was looking for, but it was enough. After class, she swung by the office of Dr. Stryker. It was well known that the oldest mentor was also the one who oversaw the volunteer process for District 2. If you wanted to get into the games, he was the first gatekeeper.

 _This is insane._ The thought crossed her mind several times before she built up the courage to rap her knuckles on the open door.

"Come in", Dr. Stryker motioned her in with one hand as he graded papers with the other. Without looking up from his work, he asked, "Yes? Can I help you?"

Silica took a few hesitant steps into his office. "I um...", the words caught on the tip of her tongue.

"If you wish to know your grade on the test, you can wait until next week like the rest of the students. I don't play favorites. I never have and I never will."

Silica gulped, a bit intimidated by Dr. Stryker. This was much harder than she thought it was going to be. Imagining it was one thing, but actually doing it was another thing entirely. She took a quick breath, then forced the words out. "I want to represent the district in the games this year." The words felt heavy and unnatural, but she was relieved to get them out.

Dr. Stryker didn't even look up. "The position is already filled." He scribbled several more notes on the paper he was working on, then he set the pen down and looked up at Silica for the first time. "I'm sorry, but what did you say your name was, again? I didn't quite catch it."

"Sil... uh... Penny. My name is Penny." The pseudonym left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Well, Penny, thank you for your interest, but the games are only a few weeks away. It's a bit late to be applying for a volunteer position, don't you think? The application process started months ago, and it is very competitive. If you are serious about representing the district, you'll need to get an application in at least three months before the reaping."

Silica looked down at her feet. "Yes, I know, but..." She ran her fingers through her hair. This was going downhill quickly. If she was going to save it, she needed to come up with something fast. "Is there...um... is there anything I can do to... uh... increase my odds?"

Dr. Stryker went back to grading the stack of papers. "If this is an attempt at bribery, it is a very poor one. I just told you, didn't I? I don't play favorites. I never have and I never will. If you want my favor, you'll have to work for it just like everyone else. Unless there is anything else I can help you with, I think we are done here. Goodbye, Penny."

Silica sulked out of Dr. Stryker's office. This was turning into the worst Tuesday ever. She slogged home in the icy downpour, protected only by a thin, lacy parasol. As she turned to walk up the steps to the the Germaine manor, she didn't realize that it was about to get a lot worse.

She knew something was wrong the moment she crossed the threshold. The servants gathered in the sitting room all fell silent as Silica entered. In the center of the room sat Rome Germaine. Her husband was reading a book in one of the many armchairs, apparently waiting for her to return. He stood up as she entered.

"Welcome home, Silica. Did you enjoy yourself while you were out?" His voice was calm and cool, but she could detect something more sinister hiding just beneath the surface. "How was your book club?"

Silica sensed a trap, but she couldn't tell exactly what it was, so she played it safe. "It was quite informative, thank you for asking."

Rome set the book down on the table. "Remind me again, what book are you reading?"

There was definitely something off about his behavior. "Why, Hamlet, of course." If this was the trap, it wasn't very well disguised. She and Opal had practiced this story a million times. She had even read and memorized excerpts from the play in case Rome questioned it. "We had a wonderful discussion today about whether or not Queen Gertrude was-"

Rome cut her off. "I am familiar with Hamlet, thank you. I don't need a plot synopsis. Unlike you, I was actually taught the classics as a child."

Silica nodded silently. "I apologize, I didn't mean to infer you hadn't. How was your day?"

Rome smiled, though the expression didn't quite reach his glaring eyes. "I'm so glad you asked. My day was interesting, indeed." It seemed that this was the question he was waiting for. He began walking toward her. "Last week, I overheard the maids gossiping about your recent increase in bruises. I know I am not sloppy enough to leave so many marks myself, so I did a little investigating."

Silica's eyes went wide. This was bad.

Rome shrugged, "My morning appointment cancelled, so I thought I'd surprise you by visiting your book club. I stopped by the Evergreen manor this morning, but it seems that nobody knew of any book clubs. Isn't that strange?"

Silica held her composure. "Yes, that certainly is strange. They did just hire some new servants. Perhaps they weren't as well informed-"

"I think that they were very well informed. I also think that maybe I have been too lenient with you lately." He stopped in front of her. "I don't know where you've been going or what you've been doing every morning, but I am putting a stop to it. Rest assured, you will not be leaving this house again unless you are accompanying me. Is that clear?"

"But-"

He leaned in closer, and Silica winced at the odor of his breath. "Allow me to make it a little more clear. If you pull a stunt like this again, I _will_ end this marriage. You will bring unspeakable shame to the Vangrum name, and I will personally ensure that nobody in the district will ever marry you again. Is that clear enough for you?"

Silica lowered her head solemnly. "Yes. Perfectly." She sulked to her room, her clothes still cold and sopping wet. She couldn't help thinking that this was the perfect end to a perfect Tuesday.


	8. Konstance III

**Chapter 4**

Konstance turned the corner just in time to see Penny emerge from the office of Dr. Marcus Stryker. He was impressed- he would never have taken Penny for one to take any of the advanced courses that Marcus taught. Before he could call out to her, she scurried down the hall, then disappeared around the corner. How strange it was, Konstance thought, that Penny would be simultaneously taking a low level class like Introduction to Self-Defense. He shook the thought from his head. There were more important matters to attend to.

Marcus looked up from the papers he was grading as he heard yet another knock on his door. "My, I seem to be popular today." He grinned when he saw who it was. "Well, well, if it's not the darling of District 2 himself. Please, have a seat. How have you been? I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." Konstance entered the office and sat down in one of the brown leather chairs in front of the desk. "It's been kind of a rough week."

"So I've heard. I think I have something that might help." He pulled two small tulip shaped glasses and a large bottle of amber liquid from beneath his desk. He poured a glass for himself and one for Konstance. He leaned over the desk, pointed to the bottle, and whispered. "Let's keep this our little secret, okay?"

Marcus downed his glass immediately. Konstance reached out and picked up the glass of amber fluid, swirled it around, then put it back. Marcus set his empty glass down with a clink as he exhaled heavily. "I don't know how familiar you are with Scotch whisky, but that-", he pointed to the glass in front of Konstance, "-is quality stuff. I don't agree with many of the things they do in the Capitol, but I'll give them this: they know how to make a good Scotch."

Konstance didn't want to seem rude, so he clutched the glass of Scotch, braced himself, then downed it in one gulp. He could feel the liquid sear his throat, burning even after he swallowed it. The taste was so strong that he gagged on it and entered a coughing fit.

"That's the spirit, boy! You feel that burn? That's the mark of a good Scotch." Marcus leaned back in his chair and laughed, then removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I must applaud you. I have had the fortune of being mentor to many victors over the years, but you are the first one to actually pay me a visit after the games. Really, now. Is it so hard to stop by and say 'hi'?" It was a rhetorical question, but Konstance still hadn't recovered enough to speak anyway. "Not that I hold a grudge, of course. The world is full of unsung heroes; I am just one of many. However, I assume that you didn't come here just to mooch off of my after work special. What can I do for you, boy?"

Konstance's throat still felt warm and scratchy. It was his stomach that was now feeling the burn. He pulled the yellowing envelope out of his pocket and placed on the desk in front of him. He knew what he wanted to ask, but he wasn't quite sure where to start. He stared at the letter, trying to think of how he was going to approach this.

"You're hired."

Konstance looked up in confusion. "What?" The sharp smell of whiskey on his own breath caused him to enter another short coughing fit.

"That's why you're here, isn't it? The job?" Marcus pulled the envelope toward him and examined the aging letter. He removed the glasses he was wearing and put on a smaller, thicker pair of spectacles. As he read, he asked, "You've been sitting on this for three years, am I right?"

Konstance nodded, but Marcus didn't see it. His attention was focused on the letter in his hand. "I was hoping I was going to hear from you soon. It's about time. We don't send these things out to just anyone, you know." He looked up at Konstance over the top of the yellowing piece of paper. "I always knew there was something special about you."

"Me? There's nothing special about me."

"My dear boy, that statement couldn't be further from the truth." Marcus took the glasses off and set them on the desk, studying the man sitting across from him. "You really have no idea, do you?"

This was not going at all like Konstance imagined it would. "Wait, hang on. So I'm hired? Just like that?"

Marcus nodded. "Just like that."

Konstance couldn't tell if he was being serious or was just messing with him. "What about all those applications?" He pointed at the leaning pile of papers stacked on the end of the desk.

Marcus shrugged, then casually brushed them aside. The entire pile slid off the desk and fluttered straight into a waiting trash bin. "What applications?"

"But... how can you be so certain that I'm the one for this job?"

"Konstance, you're not as invisible as you think you are. You've been teaching here for what? Going on a year, now? I make it my personal duty to know my fellow staff members, whether they are aware of it or not."

"That sounds kind of creepy"

"Not at all. On the contrary, I think it is only prudent, and even if you didn't teach here, we're practically neighbors. I was your mentor for goodness sake. I knew you before you even knew yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Who do you think chose you to be our district's representative? Do you think you were the only volunteer?" Marcus waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, Brutus was against it, of course, but I have my ways around that, and I had the last laugh in the end, didn't I? Oh, he's still sore about it, even after all this time. He just cannot admit that I was right."

" _You_ chose me?"

"Of course I did, and I'm doing it again. Why stop while you're on a winning streak, right? Besides, I think you'll be a good counterbalance to old Brutus."

It never occurred to Konstance that there was more to volunteering than simply showing up. From the moment he volunteered, he was sure that he would be in the games, but now that he thought about it, there must have been dozens or more other people also competing for the honor.

"Okay, but what about the-"

Marcus held up a hand. "Stop trying to convince me. The deal's done. Quit while you're ahead, boy." Marcus filled up his glass again. He offered one to Konstance, but it was politely declined. "Everyone has a reason for signing up for this job. Some like the power. Some want the fame. Some just miss the arena. Those are all the wrong reasons."

"So what is the right reason?"

"You tell me. You've had this letter for three years. Why are you choosing now to submit this?"

The spotlight shifted to Konstance, and it made him nervous. "I, uh...well, sir... it's just that..." It's not that he didn't know, but he found it surprisingly difficult to put into words. "Well, it's complicated."

Marcus clapped his hands together. "I couldn't have said it better myself!" He beamed at Konstance, then held up a finger, "However, I would like to try: What most applicants don't understand is that being a mentor is much different than actually participating in the games. There's a reason this job has such a high turnover rate. Most people can't handle it. Oh, they think they can until they're making decisions that determine whether a tribute lives or dies. Ah, but you'll find out all about that soon enough." He downed his second glass, giving Konstance a chance to shift the spotlight back to Marcus.

"So what's your reason?" He tossed his own question back at him.

Marcus held up his empty glass. "Why, it's the free Scotch, of course! Did you know they give us all the Scotch we want? For free! I've got crates of the stuff at home. It's great! I think that's what I'm going to miss most about this job." He gave a wistful sigh before returning to his happy self. "Tell you what, I'll be attending a gala tonight to help secure donations for the games this year. Why don't you join me? I'll introduce you to the crew. It'll be fun."

"Well, actually-"

"Honestly, I find the things boring myself, but it doesn't hurt to have friends in high places."

"Actually, I don't think I should-"

"-and some exposure will be good for you. At this point in the game, even if you strip naked and squawk like a chicken, I doubt you'll lose us any sponsors, and if you play your cards right, you might just be able to win us some more. You can never have too many sponsors." He examined Konstance again. "Do you have the proper attire?"

Konstance looked down at the dark suit he was wearing. His work uniform was the only suit he owned. "Is this not good enough?"

Marcus rubbed his chin. "I suppose it will work." Reading the look of disdain on Konstance's face, he added, "You know what? Don't even worry about it. No matter how well you dress, there will always be some old fart who is so rich he doesn't care anymore, wearing just slippers and a robe. You'll be fine. I'll send for you tonight. I look forward to it!"

Marcus went back to grading his papers, and Konstance found himself walking out, unsure of what just happened. He'd never been to anything more fancy than a birthday party before, and the whole idea was terrifying. It made him want to crawl up into a ball and forget the whole thing, but he made a promise, and he wasn't one to break his promises, so at eight o'clock that night, he found himself with Marcus, walking up the gated path to the largest manor he'd ever seen.

Konstance felt more out of place in the manor than he ever had in the arena. He wasn't one of these rich, fancy folk. He was just a normal guy. He felt like a spy deep undercover, and he feared that when his true identity was discovered, the hoax revealed, he would be punished for attempting to fool everyone. He didn't know how many forks people needed to eat, but he felt fairly confident that three forks was definitely too many. The amount of silverware on the small round table alone was more than his step-family had in their entire household, he was sure of it.

Marcus could sense his discomfort. "Listen, just be yourself. People already know you and love you, so most of the work is already done." He stopped Konstance and adjusted his tie. "Mingling is a talent that only a few people are actually born with, the bastards. For the rest of us..." Marcus held up a freshly filled glass of Scotch and handed one over. "...there's alcohol. Cheers!"

Konstance downed the drink, then handed back the empty glass. It wasn't so bad the second time around, and he was able to contain the coughing fit this time. Marcus was right about one thing, though. The drink did make him feel less tense.

He explained, "Getting drunk is an art form. You have to find out the exact amount of drinks necessary that you will confident talking to new people, but not so much that you find yourself creating a fort out of the chairs and tablecloth. That's a true story, by the way. Remind me to tell you about it later. Oh! Here we go!"

The two were approached by a well mannered gentleman who introduced himself as Rome Germaine. His lavish suit made Konstance feel like he was wearing rags. Apparently he knew Marcus, and Konstance stepped aside as the two shook hands.

"Marcus! It has been a while, hasn't it? Who have you dragged along with you this evening?"

"This is Konstance." Marcus nudged him forward. "He is my newest mentor in training."

"Konstance. Hello! It is good to finally meet you. I appreciate all you have done for our district."

"Uh... thanks."

"Please excuse my wife. She has been acting strange of late, and I fear she may be ill."

"Wife?"

"Yes, I'm married now. It is a great story, actually." Rome dove into the story with Marcus, and the two continued to talk, exchanging more stories and laughing at jokes that Konstance didn't understand. All he could do was stand there with his drink like a third wheel, trying his best to not look out of place. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing. He felt a little awkward just standing there as Marcus and Rome chatted, but he knew he would feel even more awkward if Marcus wasn't with him.

"Is that Konstance Lowe?" The sound of his name startled him. He turned to see another partygoer. "It is you, isn't it? Hello, my name is Roland Germaine. It is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed graciously. "I heard a rumor that you were in attendance tonight, and I am happy to see that it wasn't just a rumor. My wife was quite the faithful supporter of yours during the games. If you can spare the time, I'm sure she would be thrilled to meet you. Would you mind? She is just over there." He pointed across to the far side of the room.

Konstance quickly glanced at Marcus, afraid this might break some social rule he was unaware of, but Marcus was nodding reassuringly. Taking a small step backward so Rome couldn't see him, Marcus mouthed the word "sponsor" and winked, shooing him away with a flick of the wrist.


	9. Silica II

**Chapter 5**

"Code blue! Code blue!" Silica jumped as Opal crashed into her bedroom. "We have a code blue!"

The servants were just finishing her hair, twisting it up into a neat bun. The party downstairs was already underway, but Silica was running late. She would have been ready hours ago, but Rome told her that she wouldn't be needed after their earlier dispute. It was only at the last minute that he decided that it would look bad if she weren't present and demanded that she get ready. It was an impossible request, but the servants were doing the best they could.

"Code blue?" Silica remarked. "What does that even mean? If Rome's upset again, tell him that it's his fault for giving me hardly any warning."

Between heaving breaths, Opal panted, "It's not Rome. He's fine, but you're not going to believe this!"

"I'd believe anything on a day like today", Silica sighed. "It's not like it can get any worse."

Opal took a moment to catch her breath, then announced, "Professor Lowe is here!"

"WHAT?!" Silica jerked her head toward Opal. Her hair flew out of the servant's hand, and the tightly woven bun tumbled apart. The servant scrambled to weave the braid back together. "What do you mean Professor Lowe is here? What is he doing here? Isn't he sick or something?"

"I think he's Dr. Stryker's guest." She brought her hands together and sighed contentedly. "He can't even figure out which fork to use, it's _so_ cute!"

"It is not cute! This is terrible! Was he on the guest list?"

"They added him last minute, like literally a few hours ago."

"Stupid Tuesday..." Silica crossed her arms and leaned forward. "This is bad. What am I going to do, Opal? I can't go down there if Professor Lowe is there. If Rome finds out..."

Opal held up both of her hands. "Listen, I'll have Jerry take care of it, okay? He knows I've been taking lessons, so it'll be fine. He'll totally understand. Don't come down until I send for you, okay? I'll tell Rome that you're having "lady issues". That should shut him up."

Silica nodded. Despite all the hardships in her life, she was grateful that she had a friend like Opal. The servants finished up, and Silica looked at herself in the mirror. She really was beautiful. How had she ended up with someone like Rome? What a pity.

"My lady." Silica looked over at the servant summoning her. "Opal says you must come down now. Rome is waiting for you. Come with me, please."

Silica nodded and followed the servant downstairs. The air was filled with the scattered sounds of various conversations and the aroma of mixed liquors. The party was well underway. As she descended the stairs, she scanned the room for her teacher. It was not hard to find him. His old, ragged suit stuck out like a burnt out bulb in the chandelier. He was talking with Jerry and Opal on the far side of the room. Opal caught here eye and winked. Silica mouthed a quick "thank you", then hurried down the stairs. The servant led her through the crowd to where her husband was entertaining a guest. As she approached Rome, she curtsied. "I'm sorry for being so late, dear. I hope I haven't caused you any inconvenience." She turned to face the guest, and her stomach dropped as she recognized him.

"Not at all." Rome's smile likely came off as genuine to anyone who hadn't witnessed him practicing it a thousand times in the mirror. He turned back to his guest and introduced her. "Marcus, this is my darling wife, Silica. Silica, this is Dr. Marcus Stryker. He is the head mentor and a professor at the academy."

The corner of Dr. Stryker's mouth curved up, and the little hope Silica had that he wouldn't recognize her vanished. "Silica. What a wonderful name." She could see him putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Silica."

"The pleasure is mine" Silica offered her hand, and he gently kissed it. He then addressed Rome. "If you don't mind, may I borrow Silica for this dance?"

With the grace of a well-mannered gentleman, Rome offered Silica's hand, and the two headed for the dance floor. They entered a waltz, stepping in time with the flow of the orchestra's melody. Silica was surprised at his skill, though she knew he had more reason for bringing her here than just to dance.

After several steps, Marcus began, "You look quite stunning tonight Silica. Or should I call you Penny? Or is there another name you would like for me to call you?"

This wasn't the first time she had to deal with slander or blackmail threats, and she knew how to handle it. "Is that why you asked for this dance? You wanted an opportunity to rub this in my face?"

Marcus ignored her snide remark. "I didn't realize you had connections to the Germaines. This is a delightful twist! I understand now why you were hesitant to reveal your true name. What I still don't understand is why you want to volunteer for the games."

Silica snorted. "You are already have sufficient evidence to blackmail me, and now you ask for more? You are unbelievable."

Marcus dismissed her comment. "What you do with your spare time is not my concern. Exposing you would hardly be worth the effort. In truth, I want to make a deal with you." A subtle glint of mischief flashed in his eyes, one that Silica herself knew well. "I will keep your secret safe as a courtesy if you will, in turn, do me the courtesy of disclosing something truthfully to me."

Silica narrowed her eyes. "And what might that be?"

"I want to know what you think of your husband."

So that was it. That must be why Rome changed his mind about wanting her to attend. This was a setup. Rome knew that she hated him, but he could not have her punished without proof. That was fine, let him try. Silica held her head high. "My husband is one of the finest men in the district. I would not be his wife if I didn't think so."

Marcus laughed. "Do you remember what I told you earlier? You cannot play these games with me. You aren't nearly experienced enough. I believe that actions reveal more about a person's character than their words, and your actions, my dear, do not support your words at all. In fact, I would surmise that it is quite the opposite."

Silica flushed beet red.

"I thought so", Marcus nodded. "If it would help, I will state my intention first as a sign of good faith. I mean no offense to you, but the Germaines have long been a thorn in my side. I don't know why you want to participate in the games, and frankly it's none of my business, but if your request earlier was sincere, I believe that I can work something out that will be mutually beneficial. However, you must be honest with me. That is all that I ask."

Silica considered it for a moment. If what he said was true, then this was her ticket in. On the other hand, if he was secretly a spy for Rome, this would cause irreparable damage to her reputation. It was a gamble for sure, but this was the only chance she would get. If this led to her downfall, so be it.

"To be frank, sir, there is not a person in the world I despise more." The words felt wonderful to say, like a pressure was released, similar to how it felt to finally remove her corset at the end of the day.

"That's the spirit!" Marcus smiled. "Doesn't it feel better to be speak honestly? I told you, I am a man that judges people by their actions, and considering how that man has treated you so far, I would say that you are not to be blamed for feeling that way. If he is your only reason for entering the games, I would urge you to reconsider, but if you have already made up your mind, I think I can make it happen. However, there is something I will need from you."

"I thought you didn't play favorites", Silica smirked. "So you've decided that I am to your liking after all? Should we head upstairs?"

Marcus laughed. "Oh, no, dear. Not that kind of favor. Believe me, I can get plenty of that elsewhere. If anything, I'm favoring myself, but show me a man who doesn't, and I'll show you a man with no self-respect. Now, for the favor. Do not look at this moment, but to our left is young woman in a green dress. Her name is Valeria Pierce."

Silica couldn't help glancing over.

Marcus spoke again, "Not that you would know anything of what happens in the academy..." His eyes narrowed for a moment before he continued. "... but at present, she is highly favored to win the volunteer spot. However, if something were to happen to her, we would need to find someone else to send to the games in her place."

Silica's face went white. "You... you want me to kill her?"

Marcus scoffed. "Oh, not at all. There are a number of things that could draw her out of favor or render her unable to compete. Given the proper incentive, perhaps she will simply have a change of heart. Anything could happen between now and the reaping."

"You can't do it yourself?"

"It makes no difference to me whether it is you or Valeria at this year's games. Besides, I have other, more important matters to attend to. If you want this as badly as you say you do, it shouldn't be a problem. Consider this your qualification test. If you manage to get Valeria out of the picture, I will ensure that you are chosen as this year's volunteer. I will even have you called by your maiden name. I can think of nothing that would infuriate your husband more." Marcus was grinning from ear to ear. "I think this will be fun, my dear. I am looking forward to it."

The music stopped and the two stepped apart. As was custom, Silica curtsied and Marcus bowed in return. "Allow me to give you a free bit of advice, my dear. You must be confident, whatever you decide your course of action shall be. Do not be afraid. That won't get you anywhere in this game."

Silica nodded, then steeled herself. She knew what she had to do; she had done it once before to the guard. All she needed was the proper ingredients and the opportunity. When Dr. Stryker returned her to Rome, she asked to be excused to the lady's room. To her surprise, he let her go without complaint. She made a mental note to thank Opal later.

She scurried out of the room, then slipped upstairs to her bedroom. The formula was still there, thank goodness. There wasn't much of it left, but she hoped it would be enough as she grabbed it, then hurried back downstairs. She would have to do this quickly or Rome would start getting suspicious, and she really couldn't afford that right now.

Valeria was in exactly the same place as she had been during the dance. As Silica approached, it became evident that Valeria was more than slightly inebriated. What an amateur. Slipping the concoction into her drink was even simpler than it had been with the guard. When she was done, she turned to head back, but she winced as something clamped down on her wrist. She turned to see Rome, his outward demeanor calm, but his eyes aflame with rage.

He snarled, "Come with me. Now."

She didn't exactly have a choice as he dragged her through the crowd by the wrist, then upstairs to the privacy of her chamber before turning to her. "What has gotten into you? Why do you insist on embarrassing me over and over again? Have you forgotten that I was the one who brought you out of poverty? I can send you back like _that._ " He snapped his finger to emphasize the point. "Was my threat earlier not clear enough?"

The cold words were meant to cut her to the bone, but they didn't cause a scratch. Silica was surprised to find that his words no longer had any power over her. She already did what had to be done, and there was not a thing he could do to or threaten her with to change it. Instead of cowering in fear, she chuckled. For some reason, she found the whole scenario ridiculous.

Confusion flashed across Rome's face, and his smile vanished. He had never seen this side of Silica before, and, at some level, it frightened him. "Excuse me?" He strode toward her, his eyes black with malice. Silica's instincts told her to flee, but she couldn't make her legs move. When he was near enough, he hit her harder than she had ever been hit before. A burst of stars flooded Silica's vision as she hit the floor.

"Get up." Rome commanded.

Still clutching the side of her face, Silica shakily stood up. Rome hit her again, this time even harder. She took several steps back before falling over, crashing into one of the floor lamps. The bulbs shattered on impact, scattering shards of glass across the carpet. Silica reached up to her cheek, and her hand came away with blood. The diamond on Rome's wedding ring was now a dark crimson.

"Get up." he commanded once again. Silica obeyed.

He swung at her again, but this time, Silica's arm swept up to block. It was a basic self-defense technique. Surprise registered on Rome's face, and Silica took a step back. Her hands covered her mouth as she realized her mistake. Rome started laughing, then swung at once more. As Silica went to block he grabbed her wrist and twisted it around. Pain shot up her arm as she collapsed to her knees. She tried to shake her wrist free, but he twisted it harder, and she submitted.

"Two can play at that game." He pulled a knife from his pocket and brought it up to her neck. She tried to pull her head away, but he held it securely. "You give a woman a couple of fighting lessons, and she thinks she can do anything she wants." He spit on the carpet next to her. "Disgraceful."

He released his grip, and Silica dropped to the ground, cradling her bruised wrist.

"When you are in my house, you will obey my rules. If they are not obeyed, you will be punished. For this dire insolence, you will be confined to your room at all times. You will not leave for any reason. You will be given half a servant's ration per day, and this will continue until I believe that you understand your place in this household."

He turned to the servants, all watching in horror. "If I find that even a single one of these rules isn't upheld to the most subtle detail, you will all be held responsible, and I assure you the punishment will be severe." He leaned down so his lips grazed Silica's ear and hissed, "For all of you."


	10. Brutus

**Chapter 6**

"Yeah, I know who he is", Brutus spat. "I asked what he was doing here!"

The reaping was only a few days away, and Brutus was annoyed that Marcus called an emergency conference. It was bad enough that he was being forced to start this job a week early, but on top of it, Marcus insisted on bringing the freak of Victor's Village with him.

Marcus motioned for Konstance to take a seat, then he cleared his throat. "When I retire, Konstance will be taking my place as mentor."

Brutus couldn't believe it. "You're kidding me, right? This pansy?"

"Yes, that pansy", Marcus calmly stated as he took his seat at the end of the table.

Brutus turned to Konstance. "You think you're an expert on the arena? Huh? Tell me again, oh great expert, how many kills did you get during the games? Oh, that's right. I remember. NONE!"

Marcus ignored the outburst. "I believe he is the best suited for the position."

"The hell he is!" Brutus yelled, turning his attention to Marcus now. "How about choosing someone who actually won the games?"

Brutus and Konstance glared at each other.

"There are more ways to win the games than by beating someone over the head with a rock", Marcus calmly replied.

When Brutus saw that Konstance wasn't going to back down, he grunted, then plopped down into one of the many chairs surrounding the table. "Fine. Whatever. What's this meeting for, anyway? I thought we already decided which volunteers we were sending to the arena."

"Yes, we did; however, something has come up. Valeria has fallen ill, and even if she recovers in time for the games, I feel that she will be too weak to compete at the level that is expected of a District 2 tribute."

Brutus rolled his eyes. "Great. I assume you have someone else in mind?"

"I do." He pulled several photographs out and placed them on the table. "Her name is Silica Vangrum."

"Never heard of her", Brutus retorted. "Who the hell is Silica Vangrum?"

"I believe Konstance here can vouch for her." Marcus slid one of the photographs across the table toward him. Konstance picked up the photo and casually glanced at it. Then he did a double-take. It was Penny.

"Yeah, like I give a shit about _his_ opinion", Brutus waved him off. "What's wrong with Victoria? Or Cassandra?"

Marcus groaned. "We've been over this already. Victoria is a good sword fighter, but that's all she is. Even if she survived the bloodbath- and there's no guarantee that she would- with her gung-ho attitude, she would storm straight into a gamemaker trap without the slightest degree of caution. And Cassandra, bless her soul, is dumb as a brick. We can't have someone like that representing us."

"But she can fight!"

"How many times must I say it? There's more to the games than fighting! You've been there, you know what it's like. If you don't have the wits for it, it's a death sentence. It's been three years since we've had a victor. This is my last chance to secure one, and I'm not about to send in some thick-headed floozy!"

Konstance looked up from the photograph. "Does this Silica have a twin sister? I swear I have seen this girl in my self-defense classes."

Marcus smiled. "You likely have. She doesn't have any siblings, but she does have several pseudonyms. You might know her better as Penny Tremaine."

"Penny? You want to send Penny into the arena?"

Brutus butted in. "See? Even the pansy thinks it's a terrible idea."

Konstance shook his head. "I didn't say that. I just thought it was an interesting choice. If she really was able to pull off sever alter egos without being caught, I think it's promising." He slid the photo back to Marcus. "It means she's crafty as well as clever, and she's not a bad fighter. I think it's worth a shot."

" _not a bad fighter_ ", Brutus mocked. "Are you even listening to yourself right now?"

Konstance shrugged. "All I'm saying is that I wouldn't want to be in the arena with her."

Brutus appealed to Marcus, "You're going to take _his_ word on it?"

"As much as you may want to argue otherwise, Konstance _was_ a victor. If you disagree with my decision, we can always put it to a vote, but I believe you are outnumbered."

Brutus ground his teeth. "Fine. Whatever. At least I still have one skilled fighter to work with."

Konstance studied Brutus. He might seem thick-headed, but he did respect Marcus's decisions. He gave him that much. It meant that there was some sense of honor in him, which was promising.

Marcus sighed. "That's the other matter we need to discuss."

Brutus threw up his hands. "What, now Mason isn't good enough for you either? If top of the class isn't good enough, what is?"

"It's not that", Marcus shook his head. "Mason has withdrawn his application. It is out of our control."

It wasn't something Brutus could argue with it. He simply nodded.

Konstance jumped in. "Why would he withdraw his application so close to the reaping? I mean, he's been training for this since he was a kid, right? Why now, when it's just a few days away? Why would he throw away what he's been working for his whole life?"

"He probably just got cold feet", Brutus retorted. "That's fine, let him go." He waved it aside. "That's why we do this, right? To weed out the cowards. No sweat, Viktor is just as good. We'll just send him instead."

Marcus shook his head again. "No, I believe Konstance has a point. I don't think it would be a good idea to send Viktor this year."

Brutus bolted upright. His chair skidded backward, slamming into the wall behind him. "What are you talking about? Viktor and Mason are two of the best fighters in the academy. What's the problem this time?"

Marcus sighed. "Sit down, Brutus. Please. The evidence suggests that Mason was threatened, and the only person with a plausible motive to do so is Viktor."

"So he showed initiative!", Brutus argued, "Big deal! That should be a good thing!"

"Initiative is good, but blackmail and betrayal is not. In the arena, teamwork is an integral part of the success of the alliance. If someone were to betray the others, it would not only bring shame to the entire district, but it would jeopardize the future of our pacts with Districts 1 and 4. You're taking the alliance for granted! When I was tribute, the alliance didn't exist, and there's no guarantee that it will remain this way. We must work to preserve it. We have to keep the future in mind as well as the present when making this decision."

"Fine." Brutus threw up his hands. "But who else is there? There is nobody else I can think of who is nearly ready enough. I don't want to have to send in another sixteen-year-old who can barely sheathe his own weapon. I don't want to be embarrassed like that again."

Marcus leaned back in his chair. "I know, I know. It's a real predicament, but hear me out on this one. I recently received an application that I think is promising. He's from the outer colonies, so that in itself warrants attention. He's not trained in the classical style, but he is trained. On top of that, he is intelligent, perceptive, and he has a much more compelling reason to win the games than honor. It is not a combination we see very often, and I think we should take advantage of it. This is the last year he will be eligible, so we won't get another chance if we pass this up."

Brutus snorted. "Outer colonies, huh? Sure. And how much did he pay you to say all that?"

Marcus stood up, his smile morphing into a glare of pure hatred, channeled directly at Brutus. For the first time, Konstance caught a glimpse the monster hiding behind Marcus's usually calm demeanor, and he understood why Brutus respected him so much. There was a truly brutal, savage warrior hiding behind that happy mask, and it made Konstance wonder what else Marcus was hiding.

"I do not appreciate being patronized." Marcus said it slowly, emphasizing each word. "I may be retiring this year, but I am still and always will be a member of District 2. This decision is as important to me as it ever was, maybe even more so because it is the last one I will have the honor of making." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then sat back down. When he opened his eyes again, the smile had returned. "Come now, Brutus. You should know me better than that. Think about it. This kid's from the outer colonies. The amount I've paid for suit repairs alone this month is probably more money than his entire family has to their name. I'm asking you to trust me on this one."

Brutus finally conceded defeat. "It's not like I have any other option."

Marcus beamed at the sulking Brutus. "That's the spirit!" Continuing, he turned to include Konstance. "One more thing before we conclude this meeting. I don't want either of these decisions leaving this room. I don't think Silica would appreciate her pseudonyms becoming public, and as long as Viktor thinks he's next in line, he won't cause any more problems. At least not until the reaping, but by then, it will be the peacekeepers' problem. Is that understood?"

Konstance and Brutus both silently nodded.

"Excellent! Then you are dismissed. I look forward to seeing you both in a couple of days."


	11. Benjamin

**Chapter 7**

The tire swing hung from a rusting metal crossbar, suspended by a thick fiber rope. Next to it, dangling chains of various lengths indicated that the swing set had once had several more swings, but only one of these remained intact. Except for the two kids, the rest of the unkempt playground was few bare-limbed trees were ash-colored, as if they had been severely scorched by a long extinguished fire. The decrepit wooden building behind the playground complemented it perfectly. The crumbling two story structure was not the most elegant of buildings, but it was what the orphans of District 3 called home.

The metal crossbar creaked in time with each swing, as if threatening to snap at any given moment. "Are you nervous?" Paul looked over at his best friend.

"I don't know." Benjamin swung his legs, the soles of his tattered sneakers grazing the ground, scattering pebbles. He looked over at Paul. "Should I be?"

Paul shrugged as well as someone lying face down on the seat of a swing could shrug. "I guess not. It's probably not going to matter anyway."

Benjamin nodded. He gripped the thick rope that held the suspended tire, feeling along the grooves of the woven fibers. He wondered how it was made, how they managed to twist the fibers so tightly while keeping them from unwinding.

"At least you have a chance", Paul stated glumly. "You're lucky- nobody's ever bothered to ask for me. It's always the little kids everyone wants."

Benjamin nodded. It was true. Whenever someone wanted to adopt, they usually gravitated toward the younger orphans. Nobody ever showed interest in the teenagers like them. "Do you think it's because of the games?"

Paul shook his head. "I doubt it. It's not orphan season yet."

Benjamin grunted in agreement. That was his suspicion as well.

During the games and its immediate aftermath, there was always a surge of visitors to the orphanage. The children killed in the games stirred up awareness for those who had lost children or those that knew people who had. It was the orphanage's busiest time, though it was also the time when fewest actual adoptions occurred. The two referred to this period of time as "orphan season". Benjamin had seen it play out a million times before. It happened every year. A family that lost a child in the games shows up looking for a replacement. They find someone that looks like their lost child, but they never seem to be able to finish the deal. In the end, very few of them actually ended up adopting.

He stared across at the sandbox, which was a misnomer. He couldn't remember a time that it had ever actually contained sand. It was merely a box filled with mud and sticks.

Paul looked up. "If it works out, you'll still come and visit, right?"

"Of course I will." Benjamin removed his glasses, cleaned them with his shirt, then put them back on. "If I can, I'll get them to adopt you too. I'll say we're a package deal or something."

Paul smiled. "You haven't even met them yet and you're already making plans to get them to adopt me too?"

"Right. If they sign the papers." Benjamin added. He was getting ahead of himself. It was dangerous to put so much hope in something he knew so little about. For all he knew, they were going to be no-shows. It wouldn't be the first time.

A loud creak, then slamming of the back door echoed across the open yard, and they both turned to look. The matriarch stood on the wooden steps, accompanied by two adults. Benjamin assumed these were the ones who had shown interest in adopting him. The female smiled and waved.

"Benjamin!", the matriarch summoned him. "They're here! Come and meet them!"

He squirmed out of the tire, and plopped onto the ground.

"Good luck." Paul spun his swing, and the chains creaked loudly in protest.

"I don't believe in luck", Benjamin stated flatly as he stood up, brushed himself off, and headed toward the matriarch and his two prospective adopters.


	12. Wolf

**Chapter 8**

It was the first time in twelve days that Silica was allowed to leave her chamber, and this was only because attendance at the reaping was mandatory for all citizens. Rome was indignant, but as much sway as he had in the district, the rules of the Capitol were beyond his sphere of influence. The Germaines were all required to attend, as were the rest of the citizens of District 2. This did not mean they relinquished all privileges. The Germaines, along with several other of the wealthier families in the district, were allowed to spectate from a special box overlooking the rest of the crowd below. Silica leaned over the railing and tried to discern individual conversations from the mixed rabble of people chattering loudly below.

Several loud clunks reverberated across the town square. Everyone's attention turned to the stage, where Garnet was tapping the microphone for a sound check. It seemed that red was the current fashion trend this year, as every surface on her body was a some shade of red, from her blushing makeup to her rosehip-red hair twisting up like the ornamental fixtures of a candelabra. Garnet cleared her throat and smiled out at the crowd. A crow cawed in the distance.

It was the only time the escort got to be in the spotlight, and she intended to take full advantage of it. "Before we begin the ceremony, I have a very important announcement to make." She beamed out at the audience. "I know there have been a lot of rumors going around, and I am here to finally confirm that the rumors are true! Our own Marcus Stryker will be retiring this year!"

She turned and motioned to Marcus, who stood and bowed. The crowd applauded respectfully.

"In his thirty-one years of service, he has led no fewer than eight of our own to victory in the games!" Garnet waited for the applause to settle before continuing. "To take his place, Marcus himself chose his successor, the respected academy teacher and victor of the thirty-ninth Hunger Games. I am honored to introduce your new mentor, Konstance Lowe!"

Konstance stood and bowed, surprised that his reception by the audience was comparable to that of Marcus. Silica and Opal exchanged glances as they clapped daintily. Konstance took his seat, and Garnet took front stage once again. "Before I reveal the female representative this year, I have another announcement to make. Due to an unfortunate turn of events, it appears that our original choice, Valeria, has recently fallen ill, and has withdrawn her application. I'd like to extend my condolences to the Ambrosia family." Garnet paused again as the crowd clapped again, this time apologetically.

Butterflies fluttered through Silica's stomach. This was happening. It was really happening. Before now, it hadn't seemed real, and even as she watched now, she couldn't believe it. The world seemed to slow to a crawl as Garnet's words pierced the air, echoing off the stone buildings. "I am pleased to announce our female representative for the games this year is..."

This was it; the moment of truth. Garnet opened the pink envelope and retrieved a piece of paper from it. Silica shut her eyes and began chanting in her head. "Silica Vangrum. Silica Vangrum. Silica Vangrum." She repeated it over and over, willing it to become reality.

Garnet's voice echoed Silica's thoughts. "...Silica Vangrum!"

The announcement was followed by complete silence, then scattered murmuring.

Those who knew her turned to stare at her. Garnet looked toward the applicant pool, but none of them were stepping forward. The murmuring spread as the crowd tried to figure out just who exactly this person was. On stage, Garnet looked back to Marcus for approval, unsure if she just made a mistake. Marcus nodded silently in confirmation, then pointed up to the elevated box where the Germaines sat.

Silica was giddy with glee. She ripped her arm from her husband's hold and stood up. She kicked off her high heels, and they clattered across the balcony. She then ripped the frills off of her silk dress, and they fluttered down, swept away by the wind. Next to her, Rome stared forward in complete silence, his expression unchanged.

Silica felt invincible. The fire that was building inside of her all these years was finally beginning to show itself, and Rome's hesitation only empowered her. It was a feeling she had never felt before, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. She felt like she could do anything.

Rome's hand found hers. Silica glowered at him, ready to quash the inevitable spout of anger, but it didn't come. It wasn't the solid grip she was expecting; it was a gentle caress. Rome slowly turned to face her. His voice was soft with only a hint of trembling behind it. "Silica... what have you done?"

It was not the anger that she was expecting, and it completely undermined her newfound power. It wasn't a tone she had ever heard from him before, and it took her a moment to recognize it.

It was fear.

Rome squeezed her hand once more, then released it. He turned away from her, staring off into the distance, his stoic expression never changing. "This is my fault, isn't it? ...I'm sorry."

Silica's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time she ever heard him apologize for anything. She didn't know he was even capable of apologizing. For the first time in a long time, she remembered the kind-hearted Rome that she fell in love with all those years ago. She almost forgot he existed with all the recent domestic troubles. A small seed of doubt began to blossom deep within her heart. Was this a mistake? She looked to Opal for approval, but all she got was a horrified stare. Even Jerry was scowling, confused by this turn of events.

There were several screams as peacekeepers flooded the private box. It wasn't customary for peacekeepers to get involved in the reaping, and their presence was intimidating. They surrounded her, and nudged her forward. As they led her down the stairs to the stage, Silica took one last look back at Rome. He was still staring straight ahead, his face devoid of any emotion except a single tear rolling down his cheek.

 _Silica, what have you done?_

She couldn't shake the words from her thoughts. It wasn't an accusation or an angry threat. If she hadn't known better, she might have thought it was a genuinely thoughtful remark. She could almost believe that he cared about her. Before she could think too much into it, she made it to the stage and shooed the thought away. This was not a time to be indecisive; it was time to be confident. As she took the stage, she expected some kind of reaction from Konstance, but when their eyes met, he simply nodded at her. Either he didn't recognize her from class or he was in on the whole thing. She hoped it was the former.

Garnet was flustered. The bizarre direction this reaping was going confused her, and it was getting uncomfortable. She was more than happy to move on as Silica took her place on the stage. Glancing down, she scanned the pool of eligible males until she found what she was looking for. She didn't want any more surprises, and was relieved to find that it was obvious who was going to be chosen.

Most eligible tributes were staring up at her stoically or respectfully, but there was one who could hardly contain his excitement. It was the same every year. Teenagers were so predictable. Garnet smiled, glad to be back in familiar territory as she stepped back up to the microphone. "Thank you Silica! I'm sure you will bring honor to our district." She held up the blue envelope to the audience. "And now, I am pleased to announce the male representative."

She peered down at the male volunteer. He looked ready to rupture if he had to contain his excitement much longer. She ripped open the blue envelope and retrieved the piece of paper inside of it. "I am pleased to announce our male representative for the games this year is..."

The male tribute was on his way to the stage before she finished announcing his name.

"Wolfram Piaget!" Garnet watched the excited tribute bound toward the stage. She smiled. It always pleased her when tributes showed such enthusiasm.

But something was wrong.

One of his friends grabbed his arm, stopping him, then whispered something in his ear. The male tribute looked around, surprised, then his face fell. Excitement turned to confusion, then to anger. He was yelling at his friend now. She couldn't make out the words, but they were both pointing to the far end of the stage. Garnet looked over at where they were pointing.

On the other end of the stage, a tall, lanky kid in a ragged suit strode toward her. It was not at all the kind of tribute she was used to. This kid looked like he belonged behind the main desk of the library, not in the arena fighting the other tributes. She shot another questioning glance at Marcus, who just shrugged. Garnet frowned at him. The least he could have done was warn her that this reaping was going to be different.

"You're... uh..." Garnet glanced down at the paper in her hand.

"Wolfram Piaget", he corrected. He bowed politely, then took his place next to Silica.

"...right." She forced a smile before turning back to the audience. "Well this certainly is a... unique set of tributes this year." Garnet looked skeptically at the prestigious beauty queen to her left, then to the tall, lanky science nerd on her right. "And I'm sure they will bring honor to the district. At this time, please join me in giving a warm sendoff to your tributes in this year's games, Silica Vangrum and Wolfram Piaget!"


	13. Wolf II

**Chapter 9**

Wolf expected to face resistance from his district partner, at the very least with regard to his background, but Silica wasn't even acknowledging him. In fact, for as long as the two had been together, he had not heard Silica say a single word yet. Even now, as they sat on the train across from each other, she was merely gazing out the window. At first he assumed she was indignant, but if so, it didn't seem to be aimed at him. There was almost certainly something else occupying her thoughts, and Wolf wasn't so sure he wanted to intervene with whatever it was.

District 2 was known for its academy trained killers, but this girl sitting across from him looked nothing like that. How many trained killers bothered to fold their napkins? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this "Silica Vangrum" was a complete mystery to him. Was that even her real name?

He tossed everything he thought he knew out the window and started with what he did know.

This girl was clearly upper class, enough to earn a seat in the box with the Germaines, which was about as upper class as you could get. It was clearly a surprise that she was chosen, even to the escort, though the mentors showed no reaction. He felt at the very least Brutus would have made his complaints known, but he didn't even show the slightest hint of surprise. If the mentors were in on it, how high up the chain did it go? Wolf wondered if Valeria had fallen ill at all, or if that was just the cover story. It wouldn't be the first time the district officials tried something like that.

Was this girl really from the upper class or was she planted there to make the viewers think she was upper class? It wasn't a bad idea now that he thought about it. The interesting backstory would make her stand out and would certainly draw more attention and sponsors. He studied the girl sitting across from him as she lifted her teacup daintily, her fingers on the front and back of the handle with her pinky slightly raised. He looked at the cup in his own hand, all four fingers wrapped around, two through the handle, meeting the thumb on the other side.

Either this girl was overly dedicated to the act or she was legitimately from the upper class. If so, why was she chosen? Why would they choose female from the upper class? It didn't make sense. He might be from the outer colonies, but at least he had combat training and experience. Sure, it was almost entirely through the underground fighting rings, but what good would knitting or classical music be in the arena?

He need time to think about it, so he snatched the remote control from the table and turned his attention to the games coverage. In the time that passed since their own reaping, it had progressed to District 7. The girl on the stage was small, sporting almost entirely pink clothing from her ballet-like slippers and silky overcoat to the giant ribbon tied on the top of her flowing blonde curls. She was clutching a green plushie in the shape of some elongated reptile. Its yellow eye bobbled back and forth as the tiny girl trembled. Wolf caught the name "Hannah Berrybell" across the bottom of the screen before the male tribute was announced.

Austin Tindle lazily stepped out of line, yawned, then walked up to the stage. Instead of the standard suit worn by most of the other District 7 males, he wore a slick black blazer. He had short red hair and pale, sharp eyes somewhere between hazel and gold in color. There was nothing particularly unique about his otherwise average form, but there was something behind his eyes that Wolf found disturbing, though he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. As he studied the slender figure, he realized that it wasn't what he saw, but what he didn't see that concerned him. There was no worry or any hint of fear in his posture. If anything, he looked amused. On the stage, Austin's golden eyes narrowed as he studied the tiny girl clutching the reptile plushie beside him.

Wolf recognized the expression. It was one of a person who understood his situation perfectly and was already coming up with a plan to deal with it. This meant that this kid was like himself, and that could be trouble. Wolf made a mental note to keep an eye on this Austin character. The games commentary didn't reveal much that Wolf couldn't put together on his own. Hannah was the second youngest among her sisters, but was otherwise perfectly normal. It turned out that Austin was currently on probation from his school, but that didn't surprise him. What did surprise him was that Austin was fourth in his class prior to his expulsion. Before they went into any detail about why he was expelled, games coverage shifted to the District 8 reaping.

The bright red adobe buildings and rusting tin roofs were a stark contrast to the sturdy log buildings and thatched roofs that dominated the previous district. Beneath a large banner marked "District 8" flapping in the wind, their escort stepped up and began the reaping ceremony.

The first tribute called was "June Lee". The camera panned to a row of seven similarly looking, nearly identically dressed girls, one of which was stepping out of line. Her brilliant red dress sparkled in the sun, tempered only by the green ribbons holding it in place and her bright yellow hair spilling out of the back her crimson bonnet.

A peacekeeper tried to grab her, but she slapped his hand away. She brushed the dust off her dress where the hand made contact. A tense moment passed as she turned and spoke something to him. It almost looked as if she was scolding him. Wolf expected violence to erupt- there was always one or two districts that put up a fight- but the peacekeepers merely stepped back, giving her space as they escorted her to the stage.

She carried a walking cane with her, though she didn't seem to need it for support. It made her look not unlike a shepherd, and Wolf wondered how close this was to the truth. When she reached the stairs, she handed her cane to the same peacekeeper she scolded earlier. She uttered several more words to him before cinching up her red dress to ascend the stairs. At the top, she turned and held out her hand expectantly. The peacekeeper returned her cane, and she turned and strode proudly to the center of the stage.

The escort smiled at her, then began the male reaping, calling "Joel Holystone" to the stage.

It wasn't hard to pick him out of the crowd. The camera zoomed in on a mostly unremarkable teenage boy with brown hair and an eye color that Wolf couldn't quite determine because the boy was openly crying. He continued sobbing as a peacekeeper grabbed him by the shirt collar and dragged him to the stage. His tears drew attention to the giant ragged scar that ran down the left side of his face. He was still bawling uncontrollably as he took his place next to June. She gave him a disapproving glance, but otherwise ignored him. It was difficult to watch; Wolf couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor kid, but also for the girl that would now have to put up with him.

"I take it you bribed him as well?"

The voice startled Wolf, and he broke his gaze from the games coverage to look at the girl sitting across from him. It was the first time he had heard Silica speak. At this point, there was really no reason to lie about it, so he nodded. "Yeah, I did. Not money, of course, but everybody needs something. You just have to find out what that something is."

"I thought so", Silica smiled and nodded. "I didn't recognize you from the academy."

"The academy?" Wolf raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You trained at the academy? But you're one of the Germaines, right? I didn't think the upper class allowed their females to train."

"They don't", Silica responded flatly.

"Oh..." Wolf didn't know what to say. "Well, okay..."

There was a silence between them as they stared at each other, then Silica sighed and turned her attention to the world outside. "This sure is some mess we've gotten ourselves into."

"Yeah...", Wolf nodded in agreement. "It sure is."


	14. June

**Part 2: Paradigm Shift**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

June stared out the window at the world passing her by, a scrub desert wasteland as far as she could see. It amazed her that as fast as they must be traveling, she felt completely motionless and calm. In fact, the inside of the train was nearly silent except for two distinct sounds.

The first was the soft rattling of the teacup against its saucer as the train gently swayed on the track. Though the day's events thus far turned out to be rather unfortunate, June took a small amount of comfort in the fact that at least she would not have to miss afternoon tea. It was only a slight consolation, but it would have to do. Though the train was full of exotic decorations, the color coordinated tea towels and the mixed aroma of various spiced brews made her feel very much at home. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was spending the afternoon in the sitting room back at home with a good book and a nice cup of tea, as she might be doing on any other ordinary day.

She considered herself somewhat of an expert on tea and its preparation, so she was thrilled to discover that the train had such a wide assortment. To her delight, the selection here included a whole array of citrus flavors, including several fruits that she had never even heard of before. Only on rare occasions had she ever been given the chance to enjoy the taste of lemon, and she savored every drop of the bitter, yet tangy taste. Even on special occasions, she was only allowed one cup, so she was quite surprised when the attendant offered her an entire kettle of lemon chamomile. The scent alone was enough to calm her nerves.

The only thing hampering her mood was the second distinct sound, which was that of her district partner's incessant sobbing. Thus far, she had let him sob out of pity, but she was beginning to believe that he was abusing her courtesy. She took another sip of her tea. It really was quite delicious. With a sigh, she pinched the lacy frill of her cotton gloves and pulled them tight, then reached across the table and slapped the sobbing boy. She returned to her tea as Joel brought a hand up to the red mark starting to appear on his cheek, his eyes wide with shock.

"What was that for, huh?", he sputtered between snivels.

June calmly set her teacup back in the saucer, looked across the small table that separated them, and began to lecture him. "You simply must stop crying. That is no way for a gentleman to behave."

"It's not crying." Joel squeaked. "It's a nervous condition."

"Nervous condition or no, it is not proper and you should stop immediately. You are only embarrassing yourself."

"It's not like that, okay?" Joel's sobs softened to snivels. "I don't mind crying. I figure if I cry now, then when I get really scared later and want to cry, I won't be able to because my tears will be all used up, ya know?"

June considered this for a moment. "That may be, but your behavior toward our escort earlier was absolutely disgraceful, and your lack of etiquette is quite appalling." She finished her lemon tea and set the cup down. As she reached for the kettle to refill it, she continued, "Honestly. Men from the strip are even more vulgar than I ever imagined."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I don't want to be here either. Can't we just get along?"

"As reluctant as I am, it appears I have no choice."

The two glared at each other across the table. As hard as she tried, June couldn't keep her gaze from darting to the large scar that dominated the left side of Joel's face. If he noticed, however, he didn't seem to mind. "You know, I think maybe you're right. I've cried a lot so far, so I've decided that all those tears count for you too. So even if you feel like it, you don't have to cry, because I've already cried for both of us, okay?"

June cocked her head curiously. "Conscience doth make cowards of us all." She revealed a slight smile. "It is surprising that such a kind heart would belong to a person like you." She extended a gloved hand across the table. "I don't believe we have been properly introduced. My name is June. I happen to be the fifth of the Lee sisters."

"I'm Joel." He grabbed her hand and shook it, leaving a dark greasy stain on the otherwise spotless white glove. "You know, you're not so bad for a town girl."

"I don't believe you are nearly qualified enough to appraise me, but I appreciate the gesture." A slight frown crossed June's face as she tried to conceal her disgust at the dirtied glove. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to remove both of them. She folded the gloves neatly on the seat next to her, then looked back up at Joel. "Well now, that was promising. Promising enough to cultivate, anyway. I may have underestimated you, and I apologize for that.

"It's okay, I get that a lot. It's the scar, isn't it?" Joel pointed to the mark across his left cheek. "I don't mind it, really I don't. I'm used to it by now."

June blushed and looked down at her hands, embarrassed that she was caught staring. She gently spun the rose shaped ring on her left hand. After a moment, she recomposed herself and looked solemnly over at her district partner. "Well Joel, it is unfortunate, but I'm afraid that we are going to die now."

It wasn't what Joel expected to hear the girl say, and he didn't know how to respond.

June sighed once more, and returned her gaze to the world outside, where the scrub wasteland had become rolling green hills. "It appears that I will die without ever entering a contract. How disgraceful. How disgraceful indeed..."

"A contract?", Joel was genuinely curious.

June started, as if only just remembering where she was. She opened her mouth to speak, then thought better of it. Instead, she turned back to the window. "I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."

Joel wanted to pursue the subject, but he was cut off by their escort rushing into the room. "We are almost there now, children. This will be our first impression, so I want you both on your best behavior." She stated it broadly, but the comment was clearly directed at Joel.

He looked up at her. "How much time do we have left?" The train lurched slightly, as if to answer to the question.

June sighed. "Here already? I didn't even have time to enjoy my cup of tea." She gazed longingly as her half-finished cup before looking back up at Joel. "Now be a good boy and wipe away those tears. Quickly now!" She reached into one of the pockets of her flowing red dress and retrieved a laced handkerchief.

"It's okay. I'll be fine, honest." Joel dabbed at his drying tears, then blew his nose into the handkerchief. He tried to hand it back to June, but when he saw the look of intense disgust on her face, he crinkled it up and set it aside.

The train descended into darkness as it entered the final tunnel on its approach to the Capitol station. June took several deep breaths to compose herself. She was afraid that Joel might break down crying once again, but he smiled and nodded at her. It looked as if he was going to keep to his word. June smiled and nodded back, then put a hand on his shoulder. "For what it's worth, I am honored to be your district partner."


	15. Austin

**Chapter 11**

The television blared loudly as Austin set another chicken bone on the rapidly growing pile. Without breaking his gaze from the screen, he grabbed another piece of fried chicken from the platter. Sure, he might be driving these birds to extinction, but if this was the kind of situation life was going to throw at him, he was determined to make the best of it.

On the seat next to him, Hannah clutched a green alligator plushie as she stared out the window. Her feet didn't quite touch the ground, so she swung them in time to the song she was humming. The alligator's yellow googly eyes spun around as the train bounced down the track. Austin found its stare a bit unnerving, so he distracted himself with the games coverage, which was about halfway into the District 9 reaping. There was a short brunette already on the stage who looked furious, her fists clenched as if she was about ready to knock someone's teeth out if they got too close.

Austin picked another chicken bone clean as Arnold Jaeger was called up. The short blond boy was visibly trembling, and his jelly legs nearly gave out as he was marched up the stage. The brunette flashed him a death stare, and, for a moment, he looked genuinely more terrified of her than of the four peacekeepers holding him.

Austin laughed as coverage moved to District 10, where the first name called was Anna Myosotis. A very short, thin girl was led to the stage. She was quite pale compared to the mostly sunburned and tanned members of her district, but it was complemented by a tiered white dress fastened with a blue bow. She was fairly tiny as far as tributes went, but she didn't seem at all upset that she was reaped. The male from District 10 was Drake Wilson, who looked about as opposite from Anna as a person could be. The tall, lanky boy towered over her, his greasy black hair falling past his ears. His eyes were a dull gray compared to his partner's, which were a bright shining blue. His dark skin, heavily tanned by the intense desert sun, made Anna look like she was a glowing white angel.

The tributes were led backstage and the screen switched to a current roster of tributes for this year's games. It was the first time Austin got to see the other tributes. Twenty faces of all different shapes and sizes filled the screen. The sheer number of people filled him with awe. He never really got over just how many people went to the games every year, and it didn't help that one of the faces was his own. He tried not to think about it.

Instead, he focused on the current betting standard next to each profile picture. The gamemakers had already assigned preliminary odds for the gamblers in the Capitol that liked placing their bets early. Predictably, the lowest odds belonged to Anna, the girl whose reaping he just saw, and Hannah, the small girl clutching the alligator plushie next to him. What he didn't expect was the relatively low numbers for the top tier districts. District 1 had its usual low payoff bets, but Districts 2 and 4 told a much different story.

He was surprised to find that the odds calculated for him were even with the male of District 2, who usually dominated the standings throughout the pre-games events. Even more surprising was that his odds were better than those given to the male from District 4. He caught several more outer district odds, including Edward Appledelhi of District 5 and Jason Spokes of District 6, whose odds outshone most of the tributes hailing from districts that usually boasted the more favorable tributes before the faces and betting standards faded away, revealing the reaping ceremony in District 11.

When the escort pulled the female tribute's name from the bowl, she hesitated a moment, staring at the card with a frown. She squinted at it, as if she couldn't quite read the scrawled name. When she did announce it, it was almost as a question. "Ignatio Leukannen?"

Austin almost choked on his chicken. Was that a boy's name? Sure enough, one of the boys stepped out of line. He brushed his short, curly hair out of his eyes, revealing large dark eyes and a freckled face. The peacekeepers looked at him, but otherwise didn't take any action. Seeing they weren't going to do anything about it, the boy shrugged, then began striding toward the stage. The peacekeepers let him go. Austin sat up and paid attention, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Were they sending a male in place of a female? Was that even legal?

If this was an issue anyone else was thinking about, it wasn't mentioned in the commentary. Neither Caesar nor Claudius addressed her questionable gender, though they did mention that she seemed "sturdy" and was certainly a "handsome" addition to the lineup. Austin leaned closer to the screen to get a better look at the District 11 tribute, but all he saw was a freckle-faced boy. If they insisted she was female, who was he to argue, but he couldn't see it.

The male for District 11 was Caleb Spec, a tall boy with a slim physique and pale skin. He wore an old-fashioned formal clothing that was so anachronistic it almost looked like he was cosplaying. His curly, wavy hair was well groomed, and it made his district partner look even more masculine in comparison. Even as Austin studied her now, it was difficult not to see two male tributes standing next to the escort.

The betting table faded in over the two tribute's faces with the new set of odds. Austin felt that an important pattern was emerging, though it wasn't readily apparent exactly what. Though Caleb scored slightly below average, Ignatio was above either of the District 2 tributes. The top tier district alliance was always a powerhouse, but this year, there might actually be some real competition outside of them. Austin tossed the numbers around in his head. There had to be a way that he could use this to his advantage, but he couldn't quite figure out how. An idea was tickling the back of his mind, but it hovered just out of reach.

As the games coverage moved on to the last district, the live footage muted and shrank down to a small subset in the bottom corner of the frame. The main screen filled with a Capitol talk show. Caesar and Claudius sat behind a wooden desk as they tossed softball questions at one of the gamemakers as the escort of District 12 began the reaping ceremony in the subset. Caesar expressed his curiosity about how this year's games might top last year's fantastic show. The gamemaker started into what was obviously a canned speech, but the two hosts appeared as thrilled as ever to hear it.

A sudden burst of motion in the subset image caught Austin's eye. There was some kind of struggle happening in District 12. The name "Jade Stone" appeared across the bottom of the screen. She was one of a set of twin sisters, and the two were holding on to each other as peacekeepers forcibly ripped them apart. The small, timid girl wore a long green dress and had long flowing brown hair that curled at the tips. Tears streamed down her face, forming streaks in the splotches of coal dust on her cheek, but it did little to hide her most distinct feature. Like her twin, her eyes were mismatched, one emerald green and the other ruby red.

Neither Caesar nor Claudius acknowledged the struggle, instead asking the gamemaker in the spotlight what he thought of the unique circumstances regarding the District 2 tributes. He explained that having a diverse pool of tributes is what made the games interesting as the final male tribute was reaped in District 12. Austin barely caught the name "Rocco Bonnaro" flashing across the small subset window before it closed out. When the gamemaker finally rounded out his speech, Caesar thanked him, then informed the audience that the final tally was in. The twenty-four faces and their respective betting odds projected onto a screen hanging behind the interview desk, and they both turned to look at it. The interview continued as Claudius pointed out the obvious District 2 anomalies.

To Austin's amusement, Claudius made a segue between the odds of the District 2 male tribute and the odds of a certain Austin Tindle of District 7. It was beyond strange to hear this guy he'd never met before talking about him. The gamemaker went into an analysis of the calculation of the odds, making comments about him as if they were old friends, as if this guy knew the first thing about him. Ugh. He couldn't watch it. He picked up the remote and switched the show off.

The screen went blank, but the image of the various faces and betting odds remained in his head. There was something obvious that he was missing, he knew it, and it peeved him that he couldn't quite grasp it. It was teasing him, dancing on the edge of his understanding. He looked out the window, flipping the pieces around in his head, hoping to stumble upon a way to fit them all together.

All at once, apropos of nothing, it all came to him at once. He put two pieces together, then another, and the rest fell into place like a row of collapsing dominoes. It was so obvious that he was insulted that it took him so long to figure it out. The key is that it required a paradigm shift; a complete change in how the games were approached. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. There were no guarantees, of course, and it wasn't going to be easy, but if it worked...

He flipped the games coverage back and hit the mute button. He didn't care for whatever comments these random people had to say about him; there was something else he was interested in. The betting table filled the screen, and Austin quickly hit the pause button. He scrambled for a pen and a napkin, then scrawled several vector sums using the numbers pulled from the odds table. When he finished, he held the napkin up and studied it. A mischievous smile crept across his face. This was the key, he knew it. For the first time, he addressed the girl next to him. "Hey, Hannah?"

The girl stopped humming and peered over at him curiously. "Yes?"

His mischievous grin widened. "How would you feel about making some new friends?"


	16. Silica III

**Chapter 12**

Professor Lowe covered one handed weapons several times in the past, but they always used wooden training rods. Silica had never held an actual sword before. It was surprisingly heavy, and she nearly dropped it when she pulled it from the rack. In retrospect, it made sense- what else should she expect from a solid piece of metal? After swinging the weapon several times, she found that the real thing was clumsier than the sprightly training rods she was used to. Although they were both similar, this was an entirely different weapon from the one she practiced with. The muscle memory learned through all of Professor Lowe's classes was all but useless. To make matters worse, her arms registered fatigue after only a few swings.

She lowered the sword as nonchalantly as she could, trying not to reveal that her arm was already tiring. Holding the sword blade side down, she leaned on the handle as if it were a walking stick. Nearby, the other career tributes were swinging around various weapons without much visible effort. They all seemed to have some kind of specialty except for her. If it came down to it, any of these other career tributes would likely best her in a duel. She would need to come up with a better strategy if she was going to survive this.

"Excuse me." The voice was unexpected, and Silica turned to look at its source.

She was surprised to find that one of the outer district tributes had not only approached her, but was now talking to her as if they were classmates. "I am sorry for bothering you, but I couldn't help noticing the band on your finger." The small blond girl pointed to Silica's wedding ring. "The band, it represents a contract, does it not?"

"That's right." Silica looked down at her wedding band. She had long since forgotten she was wearing it, though it had lost its significance to her long before the games ever started. Now it was just another part of her hand she had to deal with, like an unwanted mole or an embarrassing birthmark. She rolled her finger and the stone glittered, flashing scattered rainbows of color, just as it had on the day Rome first gave it to her. She gazed back at the curious tribute. "Why do you ask?"

The girl's cheeks blushed scarlet. "Well, there is simply nobody else who would understand..." She stared down at her feet. "...but I am curious..." She drew several small invisible circles on the floor with the toe of her shoe. "What is it like?"

"What?" Silica was taken aback. "You mean marriage?"

The small tribute nodded, her cheeks blushing even more furiously than before.

"Oh. Well, it's... um..." Silica had to think about it. She honestly couldn't remember a time when she wasn't married. To her, being married was as natural as being right-handed. The small girl waited patiently as Silica searched for the right words. "I wouldn't say it's the best choice I've ever made, but I don't have to worry about money anymore, and my family's honor is in good standing, so I think I made the right choice, but..." She couldn't find the right words to describe what she wanted to say, so she borrowed someone else's. The quote was from the book she recently read to cover for her daily visits to Professor Lowe's class, and she recited it from memory, "...for there is nothing good nor bad, but thinking makes it so." It wasn't a perfect analogy, and she wasn't entirely sure this girl would understand it, but it was the best she could do.

The girl cocked her head curiously. "That is Hamlet, is it not?"

"That's right." Though it was one of the more famous excerpts, Silica was surprised that the girl recognized it at all. "I think it's appropriate. Our world is what we make of it, so what we become is whatever we imagine ourselves becoming. If we see ourselves as timid and afraid, that is what we will be. If we truly feel that we can only live dishonorably, we condemn ourselves to do precisely that. It's funny- before I was married, I thought I would be better off after I was, but now that I am, I think I was better off when I was on my own." The image of Rome popped into her head. "It's just that... people don't always turn out to be who you thought they were at first. Do you know what I mean?"

"I think I understand." The girl nodded. "We know what we are, but we know not what we may become."

"That's Ophelia, right? I'm impressed." Silica recognized the reference from Hamlet, and it reminded her of what Opal told her on the day she first confronted Dr. Stryker. "You know, a good friend once told me that we should make whatever decision we think we will regret the least. That's why I volunteered. It was the only honorable thing to do." Silica pointed to the rose shaped ring the small girl was wearing. "So if you aren't in a contract, what does that represent?"

"Oh, this." It was her turn to fumble with her ring. "It belonged to a friend of mine."

"A special friend?"

"We were meant to enter a contract if that is what you are asking, but that was a long time ago."

"So he broke the contract..."

"He did no such thing," the girl snapped, crossing her arms indignantly. Seeing Silica's shock, she slowly lowered them. "He was killed, actually. Betrayed by someone dear to me."

"Oh. I am sorry about that." Silica felt embarrassed for assuming. She had to remind herself that not everyone was like Rome. "You don't have to speak of it if you don't want to. I didn't mean any disrespect."

"It is fine." She bowed politely. "My name is June. I am the fifth of the Lee sisters." She frowned. "Though considering our circumstances, I suppose that is quite irrelevant. I apologize. I've introduced myself so many times that I scarcely think about it anymore."

Silica laughed. "I know the feeling. When I first got married, I kept introducing myself as 'Silica Vangrum' rather than 'Silica Germaine'. Rome would always get so angry."

June smiled at the comment. "Thank you for the kind advice, Silica. I feel that I should repay you in turn. May I borrow your sabre?"

Silica searched the floor for a moment before she remembered that she was leaning on the sword. She plucked it from the ground and handed it over. June accepted the sword gracefully and held it out in front of her.

"Be careful, it's a bit heavy", Silica warned.

June frowned. "Don't be foolish. If anything, it is a gram or two lighter than standard." With a flick of her wrist, she whipped the sabre through the air several times in a fluid motion, as if it were an extension of her own arm. "Your lunge leaves you open for a parry. Unless that is your intention, I suggest you make the smallest counter parry you can, then instantly reposte." As she lectured, she went through the motions. Silica felt slightly patronized, as if she were an infant being taught how to take her first steps, but she couldn't deny June's skill. "You seem to know your way around a sword."

"In my district, fencing is a classical art form. Is it not that way in your district?"

"Well it is, but I'm not allowed to learn it", Silica pouted.

"That is curious indeed." June cocked her head. "Is it customary in your district to withhold the art of fencing from females?"

"No, not really. It's my _husband_ that withholds it", Silica snorted. "Even Jerry lets Opal take lessons, but Rome doesn't think it is 'lady-like'. Whatever. I think he just doesn't want to me to be able to prove that I'm better at it than he is at something."

"I see. That _is_ unfortunate", June agreed. "It seems marriage is far more restrictive than I previously imagined. I wonder if I would have been allowed to continue with fencing had things not happened the way they did..." June shook the thought from her head. It was useless to think about it now. "Regardless, you have nothing to fear from me."

"Are you saying you want to be allies?"

June shook her head. "I have no intention of participating in the games at all."

"What do you mean you don't intend on participating?" The idea confused Silica. "You were reaped. You don't-" She stopped herself. It wasn't just her. They were both in the same situation. "-neither of us have a choice. We're going to the arena whether we want to or not."

"This world is indeed a cruel place, but we always have a choice, and I have made mine." June sighed, and her deep blue eyes became heavy. Silica caught a glimpse of something deeply sorrowful behind them as she offered the sabre back to Silica.

As she accepted it, she asked, "You're really not going to fight?"

June smiled. "Simply to live is to fight, is it not?"

"What do you mean?" This girl wasn't making any sense. "Only the victor is allowed to live, and you can't become a victor without fighting!"

June shook her head once more, then clarified, "I have found that the more we strive to be accepted by the definitions of others, the more we destroy who we truly are. That is the death I refuse to succumb to." Silica felt like she was being lectured to again as June continued, "There are other ways to fight than with violence. Sometimes the hardest choice we have to make is to remain true to ourselves, regardless of the consequences." She slipped the rose ring off of her finger and set it down. "As you said yourself, it is the only honorable thing to do."

"Honorable?" Silica couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Even if you refuse to fight, it won't stop others from killing you. How is that honorable?"

"Honor has many different meanings to many different people." June pointed a white cotton gloved finger at Silica. "You volunteered for the games to keep your honor, did you not?"

Silica nodded, "I did, but that's different!"

"I don't see it that way", June smiled wistfully. "We really aren't all that different, you and I. Had we met under different circumstances, I believe we might have been friends."

"Perhaps we would have." Silica could tell that she wasn't going to change this girl's mind, and she wasn't sure it would make much difference even if she could, so she decided to let it go. It wouldn't matter in a couple of days anyway.

"Thank you for your advice, Silica. You have helped me more than you know." June bowed politely before turning and walking away.

Silica watched as she met up with her district partner, who was talking with the redheaded male from one of the other outlying districts. When she noticed the abandoned rose ring, she called out to her, "Wait! June! You forgot your ring!"

June turned and gave Silica one last wistful smile. "You may keep it if you wish. I have no need for it anymore."


	17. Austin II

**Chapter 13**

The training room was filled with stations dedicated to various skills and information relevant to the games, but Austin was looking for something very specific. He passed the stations one at a time until he found what he was looking for. He was surprised there would be an entire station dedicated to building shelter, but he was nevertheless glad it was there. He got to work building a shelter giving orders to Hannah, who obediently went to fetch supplies. It took him only five minutes to transform the pile of cloth and poles into a large tent-like structure. It wasn't pretty, but it would work for his intentions. He crawled out through the opening and admired his handiwork. Hannah stood beside him in triumph.

"This, Hannah, is going to be our new clubhouse."

"Yay! Hannah likes being part of Austin's club!", she cheered. "Who else is in Austin's club?"

"Well it's just you and me right now, but hopefully there will be a whole bunch more this afternoon."

"Hooray! New club members!" She pirouetted with her stuffed alligator. "Can I bring May?"

"Yeah, sure. Good idea. I'll go see who else I can find. The first meeting is after lunch, so don't be late, okay?"

"Yes sir!" Hannah saluted him, and headed off to find the girl from District 6.

Austin pulled the crinkled napkin out of his pocket and glanced down at the notes he jotted down on the train. The first two on his list were the tributes from District 9, Zephyr and Arnold. He found them at the survival station, hovering around a heavily smoking ball of kindling. Arnold's fire was going strong, but Zephyr seemed to be struggling with hers.

Arnold sat by and watched as she bent over and blew on the small ball of paper and dried vegetation. There was plenty of smoke billowing from the pile, but it refused to burst into flames. Austin arrived just in time to see the scattered sparks fade to ash. She burst into a rage, yelling at the disobedient sparks and stomping the smoking remains of her failed fire.

"Shouting at it isn't going to make it burn any faster", Arnold pointed out. "What if you just-" He reached over to fix her pile, but Zephyr slapped his hand away.

"I don't need your help!", she snapped. "I can do this on my own!" She surveyed the mess in front of her, then started piling up the tinder for another attempt.

"Hey, excuse me", Austin took the opportunity to step forward. "Zephyr and Arnold, right? District 9?"

"Yeah", Zephyr sneered at him. "What about it?" She smelled strongly of smoke and her temples were black where the soot mixed with her sweat. Her glare was even more intimidating in person than it was during the games coverage of her reaping, but Austin didn't back down.

"Would you like to be allies?"

Zephyr groaned. "What is it with you people? I don't need anyone's help!"

"That's not why I'm asking", Austin stopped her. "I didn't say you needed help. It's actually the opposite. _I'm_ the one that needs _your_ help."

"Yeah?", her voice oozed with skepticism. "Sure. And why us?"

"Well, it's complicated, but I have a plan. If you're interested, meet me over at the shelter station after lunch." Austin pointed over to the tent he built in the corner, then added, "I'm not asking for a commitment or anything. Right now, I'm just asking for you to hear me out. That's all."

"That sounds interesting", Arnold stepped in. Zephyr glared at him. "What? Let's just see what he has to say. You can stay here and keep working on the fire if you want, but if he says he has a plan, I'd at least like to hear it."

"Yeah, fine", Zephyr reluctantly agreed, then pointed a finger at Austin. "But that doesn't mean we agree to be allies or anything."

"Of course", Austin remarked. "I'll see you after lunch."

He pulled the napkin back out of his pocket and unfolded it. It was Zephyr that he really wanted, though Arnold might be able to help as well. He examined his notes for the next target. Next on the list was-

"Yo! District 7! What's up?"

Austin snapped up to see the tribute from District 12 pointing finger guns at him. The girl from twelve was hiding behind him, one emerald green eye peeking out behind the "District 12" patch on his shoulder. He grinned at Austin. "I saw you guys conspiring over there." He pointed over to the fire building station. "Are you guys forming some sort of super secret awesome alliance?"

Austin checked his notes again, finding the names Rocco and Jade. They weren't at the top of his list, but it couldn't hurt to include them. "Something like that, yeah." He threw an arm around Rocco, and lowered his voice. "But you've got to keep quiet about it. It won't be so secret anymore if you go around yelling about it out like that."

"Whoops! Sorry, man. My bad." He turned and yelled, "Just kidding! Nothing going on over here! Nothing at all!"

"Well done...", Austin chided. "Now they know for sure that nothing is happening."

"Don't worry, man! I've got your back!" Rocco's eyes lit up. "Hey, so, can we join you? I want in! And Jade too." He stepped aside to push her forward, but Jade stepped with him, choosing to remain hidden behind him. "Well, I'm pretty sure she wants in too. She's not bad, she's just kinda shy, you know?"

"Yeah, sure", Austin grinned. "I can even teach you a few moves if you want."

"Hell yeah!" Rocco bounced with excitement. "I've always wanted to learn stuff like Judo and Kung-Fu!" He whooped, waving his hands around in what looked more like an interpretive dance than any style of martial art.

"Okay, okay, settle down", Austin grabbed Rocco's arms and brought them back to his side. "Just meet me over by the shelter station after lunch." After a short hesitation, he added, "and bring anyone else who you think might be interested."

Rocco nodded excitedly. "Aye aye, captain!"

Austin continued going around and asking for anyone who seemed mildly interested to meet up at the shelter station. Asper agreed to hear him out, but Benjamin politely declined, explaining that he didn't want to have to depend on anyone but himself once in the arena. It was a view Austin could respect, and he couldn't come up with a good argument for it, so he let him be. That was fine. The small spectacled boy wasn't a huge loss. He made up for it later, when Joel agreed to come along, promising to bring his district partner as well. He pointed out the girl swinging a sword around with the career pack. Good deal. All in all this was all going a lot better than he expected.

In the beginning, there were really only two people in particular that he cared about convincing. Zephyr was the first, and she seemed on board, and now it was time for the harder part. At lunch, the two tributes from District 5 sat by themselves. The others gave them plenty of space, and it was clear to see why. Though Helen seemed fairly normal, Edward was another story. You could tell by just looking at Edward that he was trouble, but that was exactly what Austin was looking for. He brought his lunch tray over and sat down directly across from them, and the two looked up at the intruder. Edward had the face of a dragon, and as they leered at each other, Austin felt as though he was about to be consumed by his fiery breath.

"Excuse me." Helen broke the two boys' staring contest, addressing Austin. "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior?"

"Wait, what?" Austin pointed to himself. "Are you talking to me?"

Helen nodded. "I just want to make sure that you're saved. I am, and ever since I was, I've had the gift."

"The gift? What gift?"

Edward fell forward, slamming his forehead onto his tray. "Please, no... not again..." On impact, all the silverware, cups, and dishes on the table rattled in response. Those that had room to scooted farther away.

Helen smiled broadly. "Well, I'm glad you asked. You see, you'd be surprised just how many transgressions a filthy little sinner like you can rack up in just a single day. Why, right now for instance-"

Austin held up a hand. "Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it. I'm a sinner. I'm going to hell. Et cetera. Okay, so listen up. Keep this quiet, but I'm forming an alliance, and I want the two of you to be part of it."

Edward's response was muffled, his forehead still squarely planted on his tray. "If you can get this girl off my back", he pointed to Helen. "I'll do whatever you want."

Austin considered it. It wasn't a bad trade. He addressed Helen. "Well, you know, now that I think about it, I think I might have heard Hannah say something about how she wished she knew more about this Jesus guy, but-"

Helen bolted upright. "You must introduce me to this Hannah immediately!"

The nearby conversations fell silent as everyone turned to stare at the source of the outburst. In that instant, Austin wondered if he should be more frightened of Helen than of Edward. At the next table, Hannah jumped up on her chair and waved her stuffed alligator in the air. "Hannah is over here! Yay!"

Next to her, a smaller black haired girl jumped on her chair. She waved a fork and knife in the air. "May is here too!"

Helen squealed, "Oh, you poor lost little lambs!" She politely nodded to Austin, then scooped up her tray and swept over to the next table. She squeezed herself in between Hannah and May. Soon after, the clattering of silverware and garbled conversations started up again.

With his forehead still firmly planted in his food tray, Edward gave Austin a thumbs up.


	18. Austin III

**Chapter 14**

The turnout was a lot better than Austin expected it to be. He was sure the shelter was going to be way too big, but it turned out to be just barely big enough. Rocco caught his eye and gave him a double thumbs up. It looked like he really had spread the word around, though hopefully not too much. If any of the tributes from Districts 1 or 2 caught on to their plan, it would undermine the whole purpose of holding this meeting in secrecy- or at least as secret as the training room allowed.

Austin cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I'll get straight to the point. Alliances between tributes have always been a part of the games, and for good reason. Tributes that work together generally make it farther than anyone else. As you probably know, Districts 1, 2, and 4 usually ally together into a hunting pack, and looks to be no different this year. What does seem to be different is the preliminary betting odds."

Austin pulled the crumpled napkin out of his pocket and spread it out on the table in front of him. "It's true that we don't know many of the specifics about them, but that's not important, because the odds tell us everything we need to know. District 2 in particular has below average odds, and the male from District 4 is the lowest I've ever seen of any career pack member. What this means is that the tributes from the top tier districts are not the trained assassins that we are used to. We can't know for sure until the training scores, but the odds are definitely in our favor." He took a deep breath, then pitched his idea, "If the preliminary odds are to be trusted, when you crunch the numbers, we have a better group of fighters right here in this room than they have out there. Tributes from our districts sometimes form alliances, but I want to take it one step further. I want to form a pack of our own; one that will rival theirs, but I will need all of your help if this is to work."

Austin scanned the faces to get an idea of how his plan was being accepted. Rocco was nodding his head vigorously. No surprise there, but it looked like most of the other, more level-headed tributes would need a little more convincing.

"What do you mean form our own pack?" Arnold Jaeger of District 9 voiced the question that all of them seemed to have.

"Think about it for a moment", Austin began. "Unless there is an unusual arena or a freak accident, nearly every year, the winner comes from one of three districts. Every year, these three districts team up together to hunt down the rest of the tributes. The only reason they are so successful is that they have confidence and greater numbers. Divide and conquer. It's a classic technique that has been used over and over, but I plan to put an end to it here and now."

"They win every year because they are trained fighters." Arnold acted as the voice of reason for the rest of them. "We don't know what the betting odds stand for, but we do know that the career tributes win every year because tributes like us try to beat them at their own game. Even if we all regroup and attack them together, it's exactly what they want us to do. They're going to see it coming."

"No", Austin's maniacal grin widened. "They're not going to see this coming." He had their attention now. "Hear me out on this. We've all been watching the games for as long as we can remember. Every year, it is different: the arena, the tributes, the supplies, the muttations, all of it. However, in all of this, there is one thing that never changes. There is one thing that we can always depend on being the same." Austin's eyes gleamed. "The bloodbath."

Arnold narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What about the bloodbath?"

The mischievous grin Austin was holding back now came forth in its full glory. "That is when we'll attack them."

"Nope, I'm out." Asper Marvin's response was immediate. "That is, like, the stupidest plan I've ever heard. I think I'd rather live, thank you very much." The female from District 3 stood up and made her way to the tent's opening, lifted the flap, and was gone. Once the ice was broken, several others stood up and followed her. Austin decided to let them go. There were still three days left to change their minds. For now, he focused on those that decided to stay.

"I've gone over every scenario I can think of, but I believe that the bloodbath is the best chance we have. It is the only time during the games when the pack members will be separated, we will be at full strength, and they will be weaponless and distracted. They won't be expecting us to initiate anything, so we'll even have the element of surprise on our side."

"What a load of bull!" This came from Jason Spokes of District 6. "They've been training all their lives for this. We wouldn't last thirty seconds against them- this is suicide, and you know it. But you're a talented liar, I'll give you that much."

"He is _not_ a liar!" Everyone turned, surprised to see that the outburst came from little Hannah. Her face was scrunched up in anger. She jumped up and ran over to Austin, then shoved her alligator plushie at him. "This alligator is also known as the alligator of truth! If you're a liar and you stick your hand in its mouth, it will chew it right up. So if what you're saying is really the truth, then you won't mind sticking your hand in its mouth, now will you?"

Austin and Jason both looked down at Hannah and her stuffed alligator.

"Oh, Hannah. You mustn't put your faith in false idols", Helen scolded. "Keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts. John 5:21" She nodded with satisfaction.

"Well I think it's a brilliant idea", June glowered at Helen. "Thank you Hannah. Won't you mind putting your hand in its mouth, Austin?"

"Not a problem. Thank you, Hannah." Austin stuck his hand into the stuffed alligator's mouth, then turned to Jason. "I know that our chances are slim at best, but if we have _any_ chance, this is it." He smiled at Hannah. "And it must be true, because my hand hasn't been chewed off yet."

Jason sneered at him. "What? You and the little princess over there?" He pointed a finger to Austin and Hannah, alternatively. "Yea, unstoppable, you two. Give me a break." He stood up and headed toward the door.

"You think you'll do better out there on your own?" Austin pulled the cuff of his sleeve to the side. Several butter knives he stowed away during lunch slid out, and he tossed one to Jason. "If you think you can take me, go ahead. Just you and me. It'll be a nice fair fight." He motioned to the large tent around them. "They can't see us in here, so nobody's gonna stop you, but you're still not going to beat me. I don't even need to fight you to know you're just a pushover. The alligator of truth says so." He pulled his hand from the plush alligator's mouth, and Hannah nodded firmly at him.

The last taunt was too much, and Jason charged at Austin, knife in hand. He never took any of this crap at home, and this fight was well past overdue. This guy was all talk. Jason knew that he was stronger than this guy; he'd taken down much bigger guys in the past. Austin kicked a chair in front of him, and he stumbled on it. He took an extra step to catch his balance, but Austin already grabbed him. Jason's butter knife flew from his hands and skittered across the floor. Before he even realized what was going on, Austin had him pinned to the floor, pressing the dull edge of his own butter knife against his neck. Jason struggled to get out, but the grip was too strong. "Fair fight my ass!" He yelled out in indignation, "Let's do it again! Come on! That wasn't fair!"

Austin hissed in his ear, "You think they're going to fight fair? You think they're going to give you a second chance?" Austin jammed the knife harder into his throat. The dull end didn't draw any blood, but the pressure was still painful.

Jason's voice came out in a croak. "Okay, you win, I get it."

"No, I don't think you do." Austin grinned, then yelled out to Rocco, "Come on, man! I'm going to need every hand I can get to hold this crazy bastard down."

"Hell yeah!" Rocco ran forward and jumped on top of Jason. "You were just yanking his chain all along, weren't you?"

Hannah cheered and jumped in, followed by May, each grabbing on to one of Jason's thrashing legs. Arnold and Joel stepped forward, immobilizing his arms. Even June joined in, sitting down firmly on his back. Jason struggled, but there were too many hands holding him down.

Austin laughed, "For what it's worth, I would have done the same thing in your shoes. In a way, my mistrust should be a compliment. For all I know, you were looking forward to a fair fight, but we're not exactly in some back alley of District 6, now are we?" He retracted the butter knife. "You've never lost a fight before, have you?"

Jason twisted his head around hoping to get a good bite in, but Austin was too fast for him. "You don't see your opponents as people. You think if you're strong enough, you'll always win, isn't that right?"

Jason grunted.

"The thing about winning all the time is that it makes you think you're special. If you lose every once in a while, you realize that your opponents are just regular people, just like you. Those guys out there?" Austin pointed toward the tent flap. "There's no difference between them and us, but they don't see it that way. They see us as cannon fodder, just as you saw me just now. I could see what moves you were about to make because I didn't underestimate your abilities. That is the same thing I will do to them, with or without you. Consider this a reality check."

"Whatever", Jason grunted again. He'd long since given up trying to free himself. "Can I go now?"

"Oh, we're not done yet! We're just getting started!" Austin reached into his other sleeve and several of the small squeeze packets they were offered during lunch slid out.

"Wait..." Jason was starting to get nervous. "What are those?"

Austin held up the small sauce packets. "Well this one's spicy mustard and this one's hot sauce." His maniacal grin returned. "You never know when you're going to need them to shove up a nose!" He laughed as he ripped open one of the packets.

"Let him go", Zephyr caught his arm. "You've made your point."

"Hey, it's no big deal girlie." Austin stood and held his hands up. "I'm just having a little fun with him, that's all. No harm done, see?"

The others released their grips, and Jason hopped up. He fled from the tent as he yelled back, "You guys are crazy!"

Austin smiled and waved after him. "Come back anytime!"


	19. Rocco

**Chapter 15**

Austin looked around at the tributes who remained. "Considering none of you have left, I'm assuming you are all in on this plan?"

"I don't particularly like it", Arnold reasoned, "but if we only focus on making the best moves- the ones where we don't risk anything- we will never beat them. I think that we have to accept that our lives are at stake, whether we like it or not. If necessary, we have to be prepared to lose everything if we are going to succeed."

Austin nodded in agreement, then addressed the two tributes from District 8. "What about you guys?"

June shrugged. "Though this be madness, there is a method in it."

"I'm with you too", Joel backed her up. "As risky as it is, I think it's worth a shot. We're stronger together than we are on our own, maybe even stronger than them."

"You can't determine something's strength or weakness just by looking", Arnold pointed out. "In a way, the fact that we look weak to them is actually a strength. Their pride may be something we can exploit."

"Stride forward in the greatness of His strength!" Helen chimed in. "Isaiah 63:1!" For the most part, everyone ignored her, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Excellent!" Austin beamed at all of them. "People who are used to winning often get the idea that things will go the way they imagine, and I think that's where we're gonna get them."

"Even the weakest force can take down an army in one precise strike if it is well executed, but willpower alone isn't going to be enough." Arnold added, "If we're going to pull this off, we need a plan of action."

"All right! Let's get this party started!" Rocco jumped up and punched the air several times. He nodded at Austin. "You beat off Jason, so you can teach us to fight, right?" He assumed a fighting stance. "Well let's get some hands on training in here!"

Austin assessed Rocco's posture with a frown. "Well, for starters, you shouldn't tense up so much. You might break a finger, or worse."

Rocco let his hands wilt, studying it with confusion. "How is that gonna to help?" He swept his sagging wrists through the air. "How am I supposed knock someone out if my hand is all limp?"

"You're the one who asked for hands on training. This is me telling you not to tense up. You've gotta trust me, okay?" Rocco looked like he wasn't getting it at all, so Austin explained, "It's not about how strong you are or how hard you can hit." Austin let loose a few swift punches in the air. "You've got to be relaxed and fluid." He waggled his arms through the air in a wave-like rhythm

"Fluid?", Rocco scratched his head. "What, like water?"

"Yes, exactly! You've got to be like the water", Austin beamed at him. "Do you get it now?"

"Yeah!", Rocco blurted out, then stared at his wrists again. "Well, okay, no, not really." Rocco scratched his head again, then he laughed and admitted, "Actually, I don't think I get it at all."

"Yeah, that's what I thought", Austin sighed. "I'll tell you what, I'm going to show you what I mean. Hands on training, right?" He pointed over at where Jason's butter knife skidded across the floor earlier. "Grab that knife and attack me with it."

"Attack you?", Rocco balked. "With the knife? Why would I want to do that?"

"Just do it, okay?", Austin insisted. "Pretend like I'm one of the career tributes."

Rocco narrowed his eyes. "And no funny business? You're not gonna shove hot sauce up my nose or nothin', are you?"

"No funny business, I promise", Austin laughed. "I don't need it to teach you this lesson." He kicked the nearby chair out of his reach as a display of good faith. He now stood alone in the center of the shelter. "There we go. Now hurry up and try to stab me with that knife."

"Okay, but you're gonna get hurt", Rocco warned. "Here I come!" He let out a whooping war cry as he ran toward Austin brandishing the blunt weapon. He thrust the knife, but only hit air. Austin twisted out of the way at the last minute, then grabbed Rocco's wrist and flipped him over onto his back. Rocco hit the ground with a loud thump, and the impact caused the support poles to shudder. When he came to his senses, he tilted his head up at Austin. "Whoa, man! How did you do that?"

"I told you", Austin patiently explained as he offered a hand. "You've got to be like the water." He pulled Rocco to his feet, expounding, "You need to relax your whole body so that you can react instantly without even thinking about it. You used excessive force, and I merely controlled it to my advantage. You don't need to use your own force if your opponent is already providing it. Do you get it now?"

Rocco swayed his arms, attempting to mimic Austin's style. "Be like the water..."

"That's right", Austin nodded. "Water is fluid, so it can take any form. It can be flowing in a gentle stream one moment, then pounding down rocks in a rapid torrent in the next moment. You need to be able to react to your opponent's style and adjust accordingly."

"I think maybe I get it now", Rocco remarked thoughtfully. "But then again, maybe not..."

Austin groaned. "Well we can work on it, okay?"

"I don't see how this is going to work", Zephyr interrupted, standing up. "This is pathetic. We just don't have the training, not like they do. How are we supposed to get to their level in only a couple of days?"

"I think you're missing the point", Austin disagreed. "It's not about who has more experience or more training."

"Oh yeah, right", Zephyr snorted, her voice oozing with sarcasm. "I'm sure if we ask nicely, they'll take it easy on us." The comment made Austin's golden eyes flash dangerously, and her resolve wavered.

Austin's maniacal grin returned. "Regardless of experience, the only thing that matters is our ability to kill."

The buzzword set off a ripple effect of unease among the group, but Zephyr remained steadfast. "Experience?" She motioned to the ragtag group of tributes. "Most of us have ever been in a fight before, let alone killed anyone!"

"That's what I'm saying!", Austin countered. "Do you think any of _them_ have ever had to kill anyone?" He pointed toward where he assumed the career tributes were practicing. "Sure, maybe they've spent their whole lives hitting wooden targets and punching bags, but there isn't a tribute in this training center who has ever killed anyone, and that puts us on even ground. In fact, you could argue that we have the advantage because we know that our lives are at stake!"

"If they can fight, they'll fight!", Zephyr shouted. She couldn't believe how thick this guy was being. "Hitting targets or hitting people, what's the difference?"

"Everything!" Austin was also losing his cool. "Slicing a wooden target doesn't contradict your morality. Punching bags don't beg for their lives. Attacking a real person is nothing at all like attacking a target!"

Zephyr's response devolved to a growl, and the two stared daggers at each other.

"His assessment is correct." It was June that spoke, her voice hardly louder than a whisper. "It is hardly the same at all."

Austin and Zephyr both fell silent. All the attention in the room shifted to June.

"Yeah, and what would you know about it?" Zephyr's spat, her lingering anger at Austin carrying over to her now.

June didn't reply, instead focusing intently on the red mark on her finger, the only evidence that the rose ring had once been there. Her eyes glistened, threatening tears, but she stubbornly held them back. To nobody in particular, she recited a phrase that she memorized a long time ago. The words resonated with her, and she often read it over and over, hoping to find some kind of meaning in it, but it hadn't yet happened. She spoke in a dull monotone, "I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in." Her gaze moved as she addressed Zephyr with the last stanza. "What should such fellows as I do crawling between Earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves, all."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Zephyr huffed, crossing her arms. "Is that even English?"

June's voice remained a dull monotone. "It simply means that I have lost enough, and I do not wish to lose anything anymore." Her voice shook, on the verge of cracking, but she managed to finish her piece with dignity. "Therefore, I have decided not to fight ever again."

"What are you talking about?", Zephyr asked, still not completely sure that she was interpreting the words correctly. "So you're just going to give up without even trying?"

June didn't give her an answer. Instead, she simply stood up, walked over to the opening, and left the shelter.

"June! Wait!" Joel shouted after her, then followed her outside.

As the flap settled, Zephyr found herself the subject of several pairs of glowering eyes. "Don't look at me! It's not my fault!" She threw up her hands, explaining, "Look, this is probably for the best. If she can't handle it, then she's only going to get in the way."

It wasn't a viewpoint that anyone else held, but nobody said anything, afraid that a stray comment might provoke her anger. Only Arnold was bold enough to reply. "Actually, I think you're right", Arnold agreed.

"Thank you!", Zephyr huffed. "Finally someone with some sense."

"People who are unwilling to throw something important away can never hope to change anything", Arnold reasoned. "If we want to succeed, we have to be prepared to lose everything, even if it means losing our humanity as well." He added, "However..."

Zephyr's smug smile fell as she saw that this comment was just a disguised criticism. Arnold struggled to find a way to convey his thoughts in a way that wouldn't earn him a kick in the teeth from his district partner. "Um... do you remember that conversation we had with our mentor earlier, specifically about your lack of tact?"

"Ugh! Not you too!" Zephyr rounded on him. "I don't need anyone else telling me what to do! The problem isn't _my_ lack of _tact_ , it's that pampered little princess out there that needs to get her head out of the clouds!"

"I'm just saying that it might help if you-"

"If I what, huh?", Zephyr fumed, advancing toward him. Arnold flinched, ready for the inevitable beating, but a voice stopped them. It was one that neither recognized, nor remembered hearing before. They both curiously looked to see whose it was.

"It's not her fault." The timid voice came from the small shy girl with mismatched eyes. She was so quiet that most forgot she was even there, and it was the first time anyone present besides Rocco had heard her speak.

"It's not _whose_ fault?", Zephyr hissed, unsure whether or not she should be angry at the comment.

Jade squealed and shrank behind Rocco. "Her... eyes", she stammered, peeking back around his shoulder. "Didn't you see it? In her eyes?"

"See _what_ in _whose_ eyes?", Zephyr demanded. June was an upper class snob, and she knew the type well. They were shallow creatures that cared only about themselves. They thought their fancy education and training made them better than everyone else, and Zephyr was sick of putting up with it.

"The sadness." Jade spoke softly, hardly louder than a whisper. "Such a great sadness..."

"Well then someone needs to tell the princess to get over herself", Zephyr sneered. "She thinks she's something special, but she's not. We're all in the same situation here, and I'm pretty sure all of us are just as unhappy about it."

"Hey, now, let's all calm down, okay?" Rocco didn't like being forced into this argument between Jade and Zephyr. "She's not saying that it's your fault or anything..." He turned his head quickly and whispered, "You're not saying it's her fault or anything, are ya?"

"It's not that", Jade shook her head, cautiously stepping out from behind Rocco. She stared at the floor, speaking softly, "It's something else. Something bigger. Something much deeper." She hesitated for a moment, trembling, then looked up at Zephyr with sorrowful eyes. "If we can express our sadness, then others can help to comfort us, but there is also sadness that we cannot express. Sometimes sadness is too great for words, and we must overcome those on our own in our own way." She looked over at the flap that June and Joel left through. Zephyr wasn't sure how to respond, so she didn't. Thankfully, the silence was broken by a bell ringing out, signalling the end of the first day of training.

Austin took the moment to address the crowd before the awkward silence could settle in again. "Okay, listen up guys. Time is short. We only have a couple of days to figure out what we're going to do and practice it, but just because we're not in the training room doesn't mean that we can't do anything to prepare." He looked around at the members of his new group. "I want you all to spend the time between now and tomorrow thinking of ideas for the arena. When we meet up again, we can throw everyone's ideas around and see what sticks. With any luck, we'll have a solid plan of attack before lunch."

The tributes all mumbled various responses as they dispersed. Hannah broke away from Helen and made her way over to him. She was happily snuggling her alligator plushie. "Hannah made lots of friends today!"

Austin grinned down at her. "Yeah, we did, didn't we?" As they exited the shelter, he added, "You know, Hannah, it was kind of a stretch at first, but I think I'm starting to believe that we might actually pull this thing off."


	20. Jason

**Chapter 16**

Jason flipped through the channels again, but it was all the same thing. The only thing broadcasting right now- or at least in the training center dormitories- was pre-games programs. As spacious as their dormitory was, aside from the couch cushion that May was currently bouncing on, the television was all they had for entertainment. The cushion squeaked rhythmically as May jumped on it, and it was really starting to get on his nerves. He turned up the volume in an attempt to drown it out. _This is so boring_.

"This is so much fun!", May squealed as she bounced on the seat next to him. "We made so many friends today!"

"Good for you", Jason grunted.

"And Jason made lots of friends too!"

"Those guys we met after lunch?" He pulled his attention away from the droning commentators to glare at May. "Friends? Did you see what they did to me? That maniac tackled me, then tried to put hot sauce up my nose. Who even does that?"

"But he didn't do it", May pointed out. "Big sister stopped the meanie because she is Jason's friend."

"Yeah, well I didn't need her help. I would have knocked that guy out if he hadn't kicked that chair at me. She only stopped him because that guy's insane."

May gasped, "Maybe it's because she likes you!"

"Don't be stupid." He was surprised to find his face growing hot, and it only made him more furious. "They might be _your_ friends, but they're certainly not mine. You can see it in their eyes, they all hate me." He turned back to the TV. "Anyway, I don't need any friends."

Beside him, May stopped bouncing. "But May is your friend."

"Yeah, well you don't count", Jason spat.

"May doesn't count?"

"We were reaped together, so we're stuck together. That's all." This girl was really getting on his nerves. "You don't know the first thing about me. If you had any sense at all, you would be afraid of me."

"But May _does_ know about Jason, and she's not afraid! She knows that he doesn't have a mother or a father and that he really really misses his brother!"

"That stuff doesn't matter", he retorted. "If you're trying to be allies, forget it. The fact that we come from the same district doesn't mean that we're automatically going to team up. If you truly knew me, you would hate me. You certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near me, let alone my friend."

"But May _does_ want to be Jason's friend!" She jumped from the couch cushion into his lap. "And May's friends are Jason's friends too!"

Jason grunted at the sudden weight on top of him. "Ugh, get off of me", he sputtered, shoving her to the floor. "I don't have any friends, I don't need any friends, and I don't want any friends. Believe me, it's better that way." He scowled at her. "You should know right here and now that if we meet each other in the arena, I _will_ kill you. I won't even hesitate. In fact, I think I'm actually starting looking forward to it."

She stood up in front of him, blocking his view of the TV. "May _is_ Jason's friend!", she pouted.

Jason tried to lean around her, but she moved to block his view again. Eventually, he gave up. He pulled the chain necklace he was wearing out from under his shirt. Looped around one of the chain links was a small red vial that he held out to May. "Do you know what this is?"

May shook her head, gazing wondrously at the small container filled with red liquid. "It's a pretty necklace."

"Well this " _pretty necklace"_ happens to contain the blood of all the people I've killed over my lifetime, one drop per person." He examined the nearly full vial. "Do you know how many drops of blood are in here?"

May gazed wondrously at the small vial.

"Twenty-three", he smirked. "That's twenty-three people that I've killed, and I'm not even twenty-three years old yet." He cast a menacing glare in her direction, but May didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"Well May thinks Jason doesn't want friends because he is afraid they will hurt him, and that makes her sad."

"Or maybe it's not worth the effort because they will all be dead in a couple of days. Do you want to know why I don't have any friends?" He handed the vial to May. "These are my friends. Anyone who gets too close to me ends up in this vial. Do you get what I'm saying to you?"

"May understands."

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other. Can I have that back now, please?"

She nodded, then pulled a pin from her hair. She examined the pin's tip, then stabbed the end of her finger with it. Jason could only watch as May unscrewed the top and allowed several drops of blood to run down her finger and into the vial. She smiled, screwed the top back on, then handed it back to him. "Now May and Jason are friends forever!"

"What are you doing?!" He tackled her and pulled the vial from her grasp. "You can't just... UGH!" He tossed the vial down, and it clattered across the table. He didn't even want to touch it now. It felt contaminated, and it disgusted him. "You are such a pain. Why would you do that?"

"May has decided that if she can't be Jason's friend, then she will be Jason's prisoner." She held up her finger, a streak of red now running down the side. "That's a blood promise that can never ever be broken!" She nodded with finality.

Jason was furious. "If we weren't under surveillance right now, you would already be dead!" He scowled at her, "and when we make it to the arena in a few days, I will find you and I will kill you. There's a blood promise for you."

She giggled. "May likes Jason. She thinks he's funny."

"You think I'm joking, but do you see me laughing right now?" He snarled, baring his yellow, rotting teeth. When May didn't show any sign of backing down, he picked the vial up from the table and studied it. Eighteen years of work ruined just like that. He swirled the vial, but the thick red substance stuck to the bottom. Confused, he turned the vial upside down, but the red substance held fast to the bottom of the container. He shook the vial, but the contents remained in place, the once liquid blood now coagulated into a thick gel. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Does May have magical blood?" She sidled up beside him, staring curiously as Jason vigorously tried to shake the contents out, but it didn't budge.

Jason looked from the vial to May, then back to the vial. He wanted to be mad at her, but she seemed as surprised by this turn of events as he was. In all his years of pulling off murders with his brother and after all the blood that had covered his hands, he had never once seen anything like this before.

He truly didn't know how she had turned the liquid blood into a solid, and it genuinely scared him. How did she do that? Did her blood really have some kind of special properties? Could she turn _anyone's_ blood solid? Could she turn _his_ blood solid?

She gasped "It must be the blood promise! May promises to be an excellent prisoner for Jason!"

"You are so weird", he shook his head. He considered himself fairly good at figuring people out, but this girl made no sense to him. "My prisoner? What does that even mean?"

"It means May will never leave Jason, no matter what."

"Why would you do that?" He threw up his arms. "What do you want from me?"

"May is curious...", she bit her her lower lip. "Does Jason believe in ghosts?"

What a strange question. "What, like dead people walking around, haunting us and stuff?"

She nodded. "May has never actually seen a ghost before, but she thinks it would be interesting to meet one some day. That's why May likes visiting haunted places and listening to scary stories." She giggled. "What about you? Do you believe that ghosts are real?"

"I guess." Jason wasn't sure what to say. "I've never really thought about it before. Hey, why are you asking about ghosts all of a sudden? Is this about the games?"

She shook her head. "May thinks that people can't see ghosts if they don't believe in them, even if one is right in front of them. They can't see the ghost because they don't want to see it, or maybe it's a really scary ghost." She smiled at him. "But I believe if someone wants to see a ghost and that person looks really hard for it, they will eventually find one, no matter what! May thinks that Jason shouldn't be afraid of ghosts. She just knows that there's a ghost out there that really wants him to find it!"

"I get the feeling we're not actually talking about ghosts."

She smiled at him. "May is Jason's prisoner now, so she will follow him wherever he goes and do whatever he asks, but she really wants Jason to be friends with everyone else! She hopes that they will get to see their friends again tomorrow, but she understands if Jason is scared."

"I'm not scared! I just..." He saw what she was doing here. She was backing him into a corner, and he didn't like it. "You're not going to let me go, are you?"

"May is Jason's prisoner now! She won't leave him no matter what!"

Jason glared at her, but eventually gave in. "Fine, I'll go with you tomorrow, but don't expect everything to magically be better."

"YAY!" May cheered as she jumped over and hugged him. It was not what Jason expected at all, and the sudden hug attack startled him, though he couldn't exactly say that he disliked it. "May is so happy!" She resumed jumping on the cushion next to him. "May and Jason get to see all their friends again tomorrow!"

She continued her joyful rant, but Jason tuned her out. On the TV, the current program showed all twenty-four of their profiles together in a six by four grid. Their statistics hadn't changed much. His were still average, and hers was among the longest odds.

"May... tell me... how do you feel about all this?"

"What do you mean?" She was back to bouncing on the couch beside him. "May feels fine!"

"No, not that", he shook his head. "Listen, May..." He flipped the TV off and looked at her. "When the games begin, then what? Are you really going to fight in it?"

She stopped jumping, considering the question. "May doesn't know. She hasn't thought much about it."

"Well you better give it some thought." He stood up, tossed the remote at her, then headed to his quarters.


	21. Zephyr

**Chapter 17**

"Is it illegal?", Caleb inquired.

"Well, I don't know about that", Austin scratched his head. "But I'm pretty sure it's not what they'd want us to do."

"Fantastic!" Caleb clapped his hands together. "I'm in."

"Me too!" Drake's response followed a little too quickly, and they both glanced at him. Caleb raised an eyebrow, and Drake hurried to correct himself, "I mean, it sounds like a good plan is all."

"Me three!" Anna hopped up and down, waving her hand. Drake leaned over to his district partner. "Are you sure? It might be dangerous."

Anna nodded. "Being all alone is so boring. Now I've got fun stuff all over the place!"

"Fun stuff all over the place? Are you for real?"

"I am the realest!" She gave him a thumbs up.

Just like that, Austin's group was three people stronger. He led them to the far corner of the room where the members who hadn't been tasked with recruiting new members that morning were busy rebuilding the large shelter. Apparently the staff took down their old one during last night's cleanup. He was surprised to see that May actually managed to talk Jason into coming back, but not so surprised to see that Helen and Joel failed to recruit the girl from district eleven. It was too bad. He felt that she could potentially be a helpful addition to the team.

"So what's the story with eleven?", Austin asked as he got closer.

Helen filled him in. "She told us that she would be happy to join our group if we could tell her what her name was."

"We said it was 'Rose', because that's what they've been calling her during the role call", Joel explained, "but she just rolled her eyes and walked away."

"It was really rude of her", Helen finished, "but that's okay. When I volunteered at the Friends of Jesus Homosexual Conversion Camp, I met this woman who looked a lot like that lesbian... I mean girl... who-"

"Yeah, okay, I get it", Austin interrupted, holding up a hand. "So let me get this straight: she asked you what her name was, and you said it, and she just walked away? Is that right? Am I missing something here? I really feel like I'm missing something here."

"No, that sounds about right", Joel agreed. "Say, you don't think they've been saying the wrong name, do you? I'd feel terrible if they did that to me."

"I've never heard of it before", Austin considered, "but then again, I didn't really know any of the people that got reaped personally, so who knows?", he shrugged. "Maybe it happens all the time."

"Maybe", Joel reluctantly agreed, glancing over at the girl from district eleven. "But I hope not."

The rest of the club members were sitting in small circles inside the new shelter, engaged in various conversations. They all looked up as the group consisting of Austin, Caleb, Drake, Joel, Helen, and Anna joined them.

"Good morning, everyone!", Anna cheerfully addressed the group, but only Hannah and May greeted her in return.

"Great work on the shelter, guys", Austin declared, examining the structural poles. "Looks like that's one thing we're not going to have to worry about in the arena." He introduced the new club members, then brought up the topic of the day's meeting. "So, we've had a whole night to think of ideas. What have we come up with?"

"I think we should work toward world peace", May suggested.

"Yeah!", Hannah chimed in, "We could give everyone in the world an alligator plushie! Then everyone would be happy!"

"Um, okay. I'll keep that in mind", Austin noted. "Anyone else?"

Anna jumped in. "It's bad luck to have a club without a name. We need to come up with a super awesome club name!"

"Um..", Austin started, "I'm not sure that's-"

"How about the 'We're all going to die brigade'?", Caleb smirked.

"How about the ' _You're_ gonna die brigade'?", Zephyr shot back at him.

"That's no good. That sounds like I'm the one who's going to die", Caleb grumbled.

"It's aimed at them, moron, not at you", Zephyr huffed.

"The Invincible Squadron!", Hannah shouted.

"Ooh, that sounds cool!", May agreed.

"Yeah, but we're not invincible", Jason argued.

"I believe the 'Honorable Death Squad' is appropriate", June suggested.

"That sounds like we've already given up", Joel pointed out. "We need something more inspiring, like the 'We're Not Dead Yet Brigade'."

At this point, the entire room to broke out into various arguments over what the proper name of the club should be. Austin grumbled. They had very limited time, and this was not something they needed to be wasting it with. "Guys!", Austin shouted. "GUYS!" Everyone broke off their arguments and looked up at their leader. "We can work out a name later. Anna, since you're the one who suggested it, I'll make you the club's official namer. The duty of naming our club now belongs to you."

Anna nodded firmly.

"As for everyone else, right now, we need to be coming up with ideas that will help us when we're out in the arena. Did anyone come up with a strategy or idea they want to throw out at us? Anyone? Yes, Zephyr?"

Zephyr stood up. "Well, we're not all fighters, but I think everyone has something they can contribute. Everyone has experience with something. If we figure out what everyone is best at, maybe we can find a way to use those things to our advantage."

"Okay, and what kind of experience do you have?"

"I'm a fighter like you."

"Sure, okay", Austin chuckled. "Why not?"

"Believe what you want", Zephyr shrugged, "but district nine is a special place. You have to be ready for the punch it packs. Most people aren't. Those are the ones who meet their deaths the quickest."

Austin smirked. "That's big talk coming from such a small girl."

"Be careful", Arnold warned. "You're looking at the best kickboxer on Orchard Row."

"Well, third best", Zephyr casually corrected. "It's not all that difficult, really. If you practice it enough, you can almost do it without thinking."

"Yeah? Okay, I'll bite. If that's the case, why don't you show us all?", Austin challenged. "C'mon, let's see what you've got."

Zephyr burst out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Austin held up his arms to guard. "You're a fighter, right? I want to see what you've got."

"Sure, but don't say I didn't warn you", she teased. She pulled a ribbon out of her pocket and started tying up her hair. The others were already forming a circle around the them, forming a miniature arena. When her hair was secure, she made a show of popping her neck. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?", he challenged.

She smirked, then took a couple of stutter steps. She hit him with several jabs and a sweeping side kick. He managed to block them, though the last blow forced him to take several steps backward.

"So that's all you've got?", Austin teased. "Geez. You're all bark and no bite. I was expecting a lot more than that."

"I'm taking it easy on you", she explained. "I don't actually want to hurt you."

"Aw, c'mon. I can take it", Austin stepped back into the center of the circle. "Hit me with your best shot."

"Sure, whatever, but don't say I didn't warn you." Zephyr took a step back, then began hopping up and down. On her third hop, she strode forward and faked a jab. He took the bait, moving to block the jab, as Zephyr spun, hitting him with a roundhouse kick. She caught him on square the ear with the heel of her shoe, and he went down hard. Several cheered and Zephyr politely bowed.

Austin's vision burst into a flash of stars. When he came back to his senses, he found himself staring up at the roof of the shelter and at Zephyr, smugly looking down at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you could take it", she teased. "Maybe you should try not tensing up", she mocked him, waving her hands around. "You've got to be fluid, like the water."

"OH SNAP!", Rocco exclaimed. "She got you good, man!" He went in for a high five, and Zephyr gladly took it.

Austin sat up, rubbing his ear. "Yeah, I got that, thanks."

Now that everyone was paying attention to her, Zephyr explained, "Even if the opponent is bigger, if you can catch him off guard, you can still win." She jabbed the air several times before continuing, "When you're fighting, just a moment delay in reaction time is all it takes."

The club members spent the day practicing Zephyr's roundhouse kick. She went through the basics of the kick for everyone, then went around to help as everyone practiced. Rocco picked it up the fastest and began teaching it to Jade. Hannah and May devolved to pirouetting, laughing as they got dizzy and fell over.

She made it look so easy, but even Austin was having trouble with it. The whole thing was a balancing act, and was used to keeping both feet firmly planted on the ground. Looking around, he saw that the others were more or less in the same boat, wobbling on one leg as they spun around. Zephyr made her way over to Austin, who had given up his own practice and was watching the others. "It's not so easy when you have to do it yourself, now is it?", she smirked.

"Well I didn't expect to get it immediately", Austin replied. "But that's not what I'm worried about. This is just basic stuff, right? I'm pretty sure those guys out there are going to be trained to guard against this kind of thing."

"Probably, but they won't be expecting it from them", she pointed over to Jade and Rocco, whose kicks were actually starting to look fairly decent. "We have a saying back home. It goes "someone who practices one kick a hundred times is more dangerous than someone who practices a hundred kicks one time" or something like that."

"That might work for them", Austin pointed out, "but they're going to expect a fight from people like us."

"Yeah, sure, like you expected that roundhouse kick a few minutes ago."

"Okay, but that's not going to work for someone like me."

"Good point." She considered it for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "Okay, I think I know. Now, normally I wouldn't do this, but this is kind of a special situation."

"Wouldn't do what?", Austin took an unconscious step back, unsure if he really wanted to know what she had in mind.

"I'm going to show you something that I'm sure they won't be ready for", she gloated. "...and I know they won't because I invented it myself."

"Yeah?"

"Yep, and it's not all that complicated, so even a clown like you can figure it out." She poked him solidly. "Okay, now watch carefully."

She started walking toward him, but it wasn't quite right. It looked like she was walking forward, but she was moving backward. Then she reversed it. As she took steps backward, she moved forward. She appeared to be gliding across the smooth floor. She waited until he was focused on the movement of her feet to strike.

It took a moment for Austin to comprehend what he was looking at. It wasn't her left foot that was moving backward, it was her right foot that was moving forward. By the time he realized it, her leg was already within striking distance. He couldn't block it, so he winced, bracing for the impact. He felt a rush of wind, but the only impact he felt was the laces of her shoes slapping against his cheek. He peeked an eye open and saw that she stopped the kick just short, the top of her shoe grazing the hair on the back of his neck.

"We're not keeping score or anything, but I believe this is the second time I've gotten the best of you", she smirked at him. "I bet you're thinking just how stupid you looked judging me earlier."

"Well actually", Austin corrected, "I was thinking about how what you'd look like if you wearing a skirt right now, and I'm kind of digging it."

"Ugh. You're disgusting." She snapped her knee back and finished the kick she started, hitting Austin on the same ear she hit earlier. "You're lucky we're on the same team here."

Austin's ear pounded, but he couldn't help laughing. "So are you going to show me how you did that whole sliding across the floor thing?"

"It's not sliding", she chided. "It just looks like it. You draw the attention to one leg while you move the other one. It's pretty simple once you know the trick." She broke down the motions for him. She was right, it really was surprisingly simple, if a little peculiar.

When he got that part down, she showed him the kick itself. "Watch carefully", she instructed. "The key is misdirection. They go right...", she snapped her leg around. "... and you go left."

Even though he expected it this time, her leg still seemed to switch directions mid kick. He knew logically what was going to happen, but his reactions pulled him the opposite direction, and the whole thing played tricks with his head. She laughed at him, but continued to walk him through the motion until the bell rang, signalling lunch. The club members stopped their various forms of practice and started heading toward the lunch buffet. Austin tried the move one last time, but he still didn't quite have it down. He thought he understood what he was supposed to do, but his muscles simply weren't doing what he told them to do. It was frustrating.

"Don't worry, you'll get it", Zephyr assured him. "It took me weeks to get it down, but...", she paused. "...I guess you don't have that long." With all that was going on, she almost forgot why they were there in the first place. "That move is my ace in the hole. I've never had to use it before, but..."

"You may not get another chance to try it", Austin finished.

"Yeah", Zephyr sighed. "That."

They both walked to lunch together.

"Be honest with me here", he said as he sat down next to her. "You'd know better than just about anyone else here- what do you think our chances really are?"

"Honestly?" she frowned at him, "Knowing one silly kick isn't going to cut it. Sure, the first strike is the most important, but it hardly ever ends after one hit. Each strike after the first is just as important." Her eyes darted over to the far end of the table, where the career tributes were eating. "A trained opponent like one of them will almost certainly block or dodge the first strike", she looked back at Austin. "The precision of the second and third strikes can mean the difference between victory and defeat. We may be able to catch them off guard at first, but if we aren't able to use that advantage quickly enough..." She shook her head. "I'll do my best, but...", she glanced over at Helen, Hannah, and May. "... for the first time in a long time, I don't know if my best will be good enough."


	22. Caleb

**Chapter 18**

"Eww! You spat on me!", Anna squealed. She made a rectangle with her thumbs and index fingers. "This is my invincible barrier! Now I'm totally invincible! And it's immune to anti-barrier!"

"So sorry about that", Caleb took a step back, examining his work. The two were the first to make it back to the shelter, and as they waited for the others to show up, he experimented with different hairstyles for Anna. "All I was saying is that you have the silkiest hair I've ever seen." He leaned over and brushed her hair to the side. "It has such potential if you just..." He swept her hair back, then licked his fingers and tousled her bangs until he was satisfied with it. As he did, he informed her, "I think you would really benefit from a textured full fringe. It would express your playful side and break up that long hairstyle." He took a step back to examine his work. "Do you happen to own a blow dryer by any chance?"

She looked up at him curiously and giggled. "What's a blow dryer?"

"Oh, nevermind. I forgot where we were." He pulled a pen from his pocket. "Hand, please."

She dutifully held out her hand, and Caleb started writing on it, explaining as he wrote, "Okay, so tell your stylist to apply a cream to your hair when it's still damp, but before combing it out. Then you'll need to blow dry it with a medium sized round brush. You'll probably want to add a pomade to the fringe and run it through your ends for definition."

The pen marks tickled, and Anna giggled again. "Thank you, Caleb."

"Oh, it is no problem, really." When he was done, he snapped the cap back on the pen and stepped back. "I don't know what your stylist was thinking, not taking advantage of that hair of yours. It's an absolute travesty."

She stood up, ran her fingers through her newly styled hair, and smiled. By this point, a majority of the club members had made their way back from lunch, and she scanned their faces. "I really want to spend more time with all of you", she admitted. "After all, I don't even know why I'm here. I want to share something with everybody, but you have to promise to keep it a secret!"

She looked around at everyone, then dug in her pocket and brought out a blue slip of paper. "When I was little, my parents used to read me a stories from this big book, but my favorite one was about a knight who fell in love with a princess. When they were walking by the river one day, he tried to pick a flower for her, but he accidentally fell in and drowned. I think it's supposed to be a sad story, but I always imagined the knight reincarnated as a flower, and they got to see each other again every spring." She held up the blue bookmark for everyone to see.

"That's actually kind of sweet, Anna", Zephyr nodded. "Now that you mention it, I've got a secret I want to share as well", she confided, pulling a small coin from her pocket. It was completely silver except for two dark stains on the outer rim.

"When I was really little, my father used to take me out for ice cream after gymnastics on Saturdays. There was this big vending machine in the park with pictures of all the different kinds of ice cream. Every week, I would point to one, and he would put the coins in the slot. Every time, the ice cream I pointed to would magically pop out- or at least I thought it was magic", she chuckled. "Let's just say that I wasn't very smart as a kid."

"So one day, I found this quarter on the ground. I recognized it as the thing he put in the slot to make ice cream come out, so- child genius that I was- I thought that I could just drop it into any slot and an ice cream would pop out. The problem was that I mistook our electric outlet for a coin slot." She laughed, her face blushing red. "I'm sorry, this is really embarrassing." She ran her hand through her hair, then continued, "so as you can imagine, instead of ice cream, I got a pretty nasty shock. Like, literally."

"Wow!", Anna was mesmerized. "What happened next?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain. It was like someone kicked me really hard everywhere on my body all at once." She stared up at the shelter roof, trying to bring back the memory. "The thing just kind of exploded, you know? I don't remember too much about it- it was a long time ago- but there was this really loud clicking sound, and I remember that I couldn't make my hand move. It was the scariest thing. I still have this scar on my finger here where it burned pretty bad." She held her hand up to the light to examine it. "The doctors said I was lucky to be survive, and I've held on to it for good luck ever since." She flipped the coin up, then snatched it out of the air as it fell back to her.

"That's super cool!", Hannah cheered. "Zephyr is a superhero!"

"Well I wouldn't take it that far", she poked Hannah playfully, "but I am pretty awesome. What about you? What's with the alligator?"

Hannah's eyes lit up. "This is Professor Kunkun, alligator of truth and protector of the peace! If he sees anyone being a dirty liar, he gobbles them right up!" She flopped the plushie over onto its back. "It ripped when the mean guards tried to take it away from me, but Austin fixed it. See?" She held it up to show several rows of stitches down the alligator's belly.

Helen leaned over to inspect the patch job. "My, what a gifted seamstress you are", she commented. "I hope you're not a homosexual." Before Austin could respond, she held up the book she dragged around with her everywhere. "My token is my bible. I have faith in my Lord Jesus. If you want something to happen, you just need to pray. Oh, and not be Jewish. Or Muslim."

"Oh my", June sighed. "I am too shocked for words right now."

"That must be the spirit of the Lord washing over you", Helen beamed. She clasped her hands together. "It's like water to the dehydrated soul. I hope all of my friends will become born again Christians!"

"So what about your token, June?", Austin broke in, changing the subject.

"I do not have one", she stated flatly.

"What about that rose ring you had?", Joel asked.

"As I stated before", she added a touch more emphasis this time. "I _do not_ have one."

"Oh, uh... okay then."

An awkward silence followed, and Jade stepped in to break it. She pulled up the sleeve of her uniform, allowing a simple golden charm bracelet to dangle down. It held a single ornament in the shape of a watering can. "My sister made this for me. She gave it to me on my- well, _our_ birthday last year." She fumbled with the chain links. "There's not much food in the seam, so my sister and I started a little garden in our backyard. We share the chores; I water them and feed the plants, while she prunes away the weeds and the bad limbs."

"Yeah, that's right", Joel said, trying to think back. "At the reaping, there was someone there who looked almost exactly like you. I remember it because she had the same eyes you do, but I think they were on the opposite side." He swapped his index fingers through the air.

She nodded solemnly. "Everyone said that because we share our eyes that we can never be separated, but now..." Her green and red eyes blurred, and she hurriedly blinked the tears away.

"It's okay, Jade", Rocco comforted her. "It's actually kind of funny, because mine's a plant too." He pulled out a small sealed jar. Inside was a single flower nested in about an inch of dirt. "This is a rare flower that grows out in District 12. It's nearly impossible to grow; you've got to keep it at the right temperature and give it enough light. That's why I keep it in this jar, though, so I can make sure it doesn't get exposed to anything that might hurt it. I never really liked animals, but I like to think of this little guy as my pet."

"So if you don't mind me asking", Austin interrupted. "How much exactly do you know about plants?"

"Oh, well you could say that I'm kind of a plant guy. Some people do, actually, but I don't think it's in a nice way."

"Well that's good to know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that's the kind of thing I feel like we should know about", Austin explained. "It's kind of an important skill to have out in the arena, don't you think?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right, isn't it? Sorry about that, man." Rocco rubbed the back of his head, then a thought occurred to him. "Oh, hey, speaking of, I don't know if anyone else noticed or not, but there's not a plant station here. I thought it was kind of weird, you know, because, you know, plants are usually, like, half of the arena. Plus, people are always eating weird plants and stuff when they get desperate in the games, so I figured they would have something to help us learn about it, but I didn't see one out there." As an afterthought, he added, "and I know because I looked for it."

"That is kind of weird", Austin agreed. "Why do you think that is?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?", Arnold concluded. "Considering the circumstances, I think if there's not a station dedicated to plants, it must be because plants will be irrelevant in this year's games."


	23. Arnold

**Chapter 19**

"What do you mean plants will be irrelevant?", Austin asked.

"I mean", Arnold explained, "that either the arena won't have plants or that they will be negligible. The implications are disconcerting to say the least."

"How can there not be plants?", Rocco objected. "Plants everywhere, man. You can't escape them."

"Now that is simply not true", June countered, remembering the scrub desert she witnessed during her train ride. "The world is a very big place. There are any number of environments they could use, or they may choose to invent something else entirely. I see no reason why they would restrict themselves to only what naturally occurs."

"You don't think they would drop us in the middle of the desert, do you?", Zephyr shuddered.

"Considering the arenas I've witnessed", Arnold replied, "I don't think there is anything too outlandish for them to try at least once."

"Desert?", Austin asked. "What's a desert?"

"My eyes are up here", Zephyr pointed. "But a desert is basically a wasteland. I don't know what District 7 looks like, but back home, we have this hill that we run up every day for training. When you get to the top, you can see out beyond the fences. It's just a cracked, dusty flat plain for as far as you can see. No water, no plants, no rocks, no anything."

"I see", he scowled. "Actually, now that you mention it, I think there might be something else to consider as well. My father works in the timber forests up north, and he always has these amazing stories about the things he sees out there." He smiled, recalling some of his father's adventures, then furrowed his brow. "What really worries me is this one story he told me once a long time ago. They cleared a final row of trees and stumbled upon a body of water so big that he couldn't see the end of it in any direction. He climbed the tallest tree, and he still couldn't see the end of it. It just went on and on forever and ever, to the end of the Earth."

"You don't think they'd just drop us off in a giant pool of water, and expect us to just float, do you?"

"Shortest. Games. Ever", Caleb grinned. "But at least it would be over with quickly. I wouldn't mind that part."

"You can swim?", Drake asked.

"Oh, no, not at all", Caleb waved it off. "I'd be making a beeline for crush depth, no doubt about it. Maybe I'd beat off some giant fish mutts on the way down to make it interesting."

"That's a good point, actually", Arnold said.

"What, the beating up fish mutts or the beeline to crush depth?"

"No, the interesting part."

"You're going to have to be more specific than that."

"What I mean is, whatever happens, the whole point is to make the games interesting, right?", Arnold clarified. "If they just dropped us off in a flooded arena and watched us sink, the games would be over in a couple of minutes. There's nothing interesting about that."

"So what do you suggest, then?"

"I don't know yet. I need to think about it."

"Time isn't really a thing that we have", Austin pointed out. "Today is the last full day of training, and tomorrow is just a half day. I don't think we'll be able to see each other after that."

"I've thought about that too", Arnold replied. "It's likely that we won't be able to contact each other, but our mentors will. I was talking to ours about it last night." Austin began to argue, but Arnold reassured him. "Don't worry, I didn't reveal the whole plan, but you should know that they already suspected an alliance between all of us anyway. Apparently there's a whole system of paperwork and legal networking they need to do to declare official alliances during the games, so it's not exactly a secret that we're teaming up."

"Wait, hang on a second", Zephyr interrupted. "Doesn't this whole plan of yours depend on surprising catching them off guard? If our cover is blown..."

"No, it should still work", Austin assured her. "Even if they know we're forming an alliance, they won't be expecting us to attack them at the very beginning. If anything, this means more than ever that our best chance will be during the bloodbath."

"The prospect of it is terrifying", Arnold nodded, "but I have to agree."

"We will have to strike first, strike hard, and have no mercy", Austin emphasized. "That is the only way that we can succeed with this."

"We will also need to work together", Arnold added. "We will need to coordinate our movements so that we don't get in each other's way."

"You sound like you already have a plan."

"In a manner of speaking", Arnold smiled. He pulled a sheet of the fabric from the available supply, then turned to Caleb. "Can I borrow that pen?"

"Yeah, sure."

Caleb handed the pen over, and Arnold drew a large, arcing circle, explaining as he went, "I don't like not knowing what I'm dealing with, but as I mentioned before, despite all the unknowns, there are still a few things that we can almost certainly count on. The first is that whatever they do, they're at least give us a chance to survive, slim as it may be. We can create a broad sweeping plan, but we won't know anything specific until we rise on those pedestals and see the arena for ourselves." He drew a series of hash marks at equal distances along the perimeter of the circle. "When we enter the arena, we're going to have sixty seconds to communicate with each other to coordinate our plan, and we'll have to do it in a way that doesn't let the others know that we're working together."

"So what? Are you saying that we have to learn a new language or something?"

"Even simpler than that", Arnold explained. He taught them a simple series of hand signals he came up with the previous night. "Remember, when you're doing this, don't draw attention to yourself." He shot a quick glare at Rocco. "If you must make your signals clear, at least look like you're stretching or something."

Arnold turned back to his rough sketch of the arena. "Again, there are many uncertainties, but some things are the same every single year." He drew several concentric circles within the larger one, then scribbled arrows pointing from the outside of the circle inward. "We know that the pedestals will be arranged in a circle, and we know that supplies will be scattered randomly between them and the cornucopia." He drew a star in the very center, then highlighted the arrows. "The value of these supplies will diminish the farther from the center they are."

"...and how does that help us?"

"Two things", Arnold said. "First, considering how much time the career tributes have spent at the weapon station, we can be fairly certain that they will heading straight for the weapons, which we know will be closer to the center." He reinforced one of the innermost circles with his pen, then turned to face his audience again. "That being said, we can't rule out the possibility that they will try to attack us without weapons. You'll have to make that call yourselves on the fly and respond accordingly."

"What if we're outnumbered?" Zephyr pointed out. "I can't take on two careers by myself. I mean don't get me wrong- I'm good, but I'm not a miracle worker."

"That's the second thing", Arnold motioned to the ring of marks along the outside. "We also know that we will be placed at equal spaces along the outside of the ring. More importantly, we know that we will be placed on these pedestals more or less randomly." Arnold grinned "Or, at least, that's what they want us to think."

"What do you mean? It's not random?"

"Not entirely", Arnold's grin widened. "I spent last night reviewing the initial tribute layouts for the last few years' games." He held up a finger. "The last seven years to be specific; the games since Augustus Piper was elected the head gamemaker." He paused here, letting this sink in. He could see the gears turning in several of his spectators, while others looked like they needed a more in depth explanation.

He turned back to the chart and drew three lines straight across the page, splitting the whole circle into six equal sections. "Historically- or at least in recent history- the career alliance consists of six tributes. The two from District 1, the two from District 2, and the two from District 4 make six in all. Augustus knows this, and he also knows that the best bet for increasing action during the bloodbath is to distribute these tributes equally around the circle." He tapped each of the sections in turn as he explained. "This means that each of these sections will contain only one career tribute for every three of us. This is the ideal situation."

He paused for a moment. "However, there is a catch." He scanned their faces, making sure that they were all paying attention. "The exception to this rule is when an outer district tribute gets an abnormally high training score. In these cases, career tributes may be doubled up in that section." He tapped the circle with his pen.

"What does that mean?"

"It means", Arnold clarified, "that for this plan to work, we will all need to earn low scores during the assessment tomorrow."


	24. Chapter 20 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

This scene takes place after the second day of training in the District 7 living quarters. Austin practices Zephyr's special move over and over and over, trying to burn the move into muscle memory, while Hannah watches, drawing all over the walls in crayons. We get a lot of Austin's background here and why he is so sure that this plan will work. We also see Hannah's background, and it is clear that there is no reason that she should be here.

Austin tries to explain to Hannah the events that will come the following day. The problem is that he knows first hand what the violence will be like because he has been in gang fights before. He struggles with finding a way to relay the harsh reality to this innocent child.

Austin is surprised to find that Hannah understands it more than he realizes. She is still a child with a child-like simplistic view of reality, but she understands enough to know that she has no place here and that in all likelihood, tomorrow will be her last day alive.

Hannah: "Thanks for everything today. In a few days, I'll go to heaven, but please be my friend until the very end."


	25. Chapter 21 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **This scene takes place during the last club meeting on the half day before the training sessions. At this point, they all realize that there really isn't much more they can do for preparation. May reveals her token, a star ornament.**

May: "I don't know who it was but May feels like she had a very important friend, and whenever she thinks about that important friend, her heart hurts. And sometimes, she hears a voice that tells her to find happiness. I wonder if that person is the reason of why May is with Jason now. If I ever meet this person again, I want to tell them thanks."

May to Jason: "A few days ago, you seemed so lonely... But now you're fine. You have friends now. You don't need May to be your prisoner anymore."

 **Jason wants to show his token, but changes his mind. This is the reason he refused to have friends before. They are about to be ripped away from him, and it hurts. He has felt that pain before, and he is afraid of it. He is so afraid of that pain that he wants to cut it off before it can have a chance to hurt him.**

Jason: "I have something to say. To all of you. It's only fair I give you advance warning."  
May: "Jason…"  
Jason: "I am going to become the victor. I intend to fight you all. To the death if I have to. And become victor."  
Jade: "Jason, what's happened to you? How could you decide such a thing?"  
Jason: "Since the beginning, fighting for the chance to become victor has been our destiny. This was inevitable."

 **June recognizes this fear. It is the same as her own fear.**

June: "So then, you've made up your mind. You are sure you wish to make this decision?"  
Jason: "If that's my fate, then yes. Yes, I do."  
June: "Very well, then."  
Jade: "No! I won't have it! I don't give a damn about what you think. Or about what June says! This is so insane!"

 **Nobody expected this kind of outburst from the timid Jade, of all people. Who is this girl?**

Jason: "Fine, then. If that is your answer."  
Austin: "No, that is everyone's answer. Come on, think about it! We're friends, why do we have to fight each other? What the hell is the point of becoming the victor anyway, huh? What about you guys is so bad? What's so unacceptable?"  
Jason: "Listen, Austin. We're tributes. We're expected to fight to the death."  
Joel: "But we don't have to. If it comes down to it, I won't kill any of you. I'll make them kill me first, and that's a promise."

 **This statement will come back to haunt Joel later.**

 **Jason is stunned. He didn't even know a group of loyal friends was a possibility. Not for someone like him. Not for people like him. People like him were junk, worthless. Nobody cared about people like him. And yet here they were. His friends. These people were choosing to risk their own lives for his. Who does that?**

 **You could almost forget that this was a group of would-be assassins. A bell signals the end of the last training session, but nobody really wants to leave. Everyone nods, but there's something lackluster about it. They are all thinking the same thing, but it is Anna that states it.**

Anna: "Not quite yet. I haven't said goodbye yet."

 **Anna has been scribbling down stuff madly this whole time, but only now does she reveal what she has been writing. She goes around to each person and hands them a piece of paper. They each read off what she has written to them:**

To Helen - I love how much you care about others!  
To Edward - I love that you aren't afraid to be yourself!  
To Joel - I love how you always find the bright side in everyone!  
To May - I love your sense of humor!  
To Jason - I love how you keep trying no matter what!  
To Hannah - You are an awesome friend!  
To Austin - I love how you inspire everyone to be their very best!  
To June - I love how brave you are!  
To Zephyr - You are the best big sister ever!  
To Arnold - I love how smart and thoughtful you are!  
To Jade - I love your kindness!  
To Rocco - I love how funny you are!

Anna: "I... I really want to be with all of you! I want to play! That's why I'm going to reincarnate! I'm gonna be with everyone again!"


	26. Mags

**Part 3: Ground Zero**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

Konstance was overwhelmed by information input. All around him, people were rushing around, making last minute preparations before the start of the games. Escorts hurried back and forth relaying information. Occasionally, something would be announced over the intercom, but even straining to hear, he couldn't make out the garbled messages. He was already anxious, and the hectic environment around him did little to help calm his nerves.

The twenty-four mentors sat in a large semicircle of desks that were arranged so each could see what was on his and his partner's screen, but not anybody else's. In the center of all of them was a large projector showing the main games coverage. The kickoff ceremony was mandatory viewing, so this was what all of Panem was currently watching. In the top corner, a timer was counting down to the start of the games.

It indicated twenty-one minutes remaining until launch time.

Brutus had showed him where to sit, but then promptly disappeared without telling him what he was actually supposed to be doing. For all he knew, this wasn't even his chair. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was exactly the kind of thing that Brutus would do to try to humiliate him.

Konstance looked up above him to double check. Sure enough, the giant scrolling banner floating above his desk read "District 2"

That mystery solved, he moved on to trying to figure out what he should actually be doing. Looking around the room, he saw a few mentors messing with their respective screens, but for the most part, it seemed that nobody was really doing anything. Either there was nothing to do or they already did it and he missed it.

He was sure it was the second one.

Each of the two black monitors in front of him had a name of one of his tributes engraved in silver along the top, but both screens were dark. He searched the desk for some kind of keyboard or controls for the screen, but he couldn't find any, nor were there any wires coming out of the back that he could trace to the source. He was stumped.

He jumped at a loud banging sound as another desk collided with his. He reached over to stabilize the wobbling screens, then looked up to see a middle aged woman adjusting the brakes on the wheels of her desk. Several strands of gray dotted her otherwise raven black hair. Though she only looked in her late forties, she was easily the oldest mentor here.

When she looked over and noticed Konstance sitting there, she looked surprised, as if just noticing him for the first time. "Sorry, dear, did I startle you?"

"No, I just... wait, what are you doing?"

"Well our tributes have an alliance", she explained, "so it's in our best interest to share resources. Did Brutus go over anything with you?"

Konstance shook his head, and the woman scoffed. "Don't worry about it, dear. They do the same thing to everyone. I don't know why they expect you to know everything on your first day. Here, I'll give you a crash course."

She touched the screen, and it blinked to life. On the left, he could see Silica strapped in to the seat of hovercraft looking bored as ever. The right screen showed Wolfram sitting stoically, lost in thought. She touched it again and a small box popped up with several different menu options.

"This is the gift menu. You can scroll down here or browse by category. We don't usually need it, but it's good to know where it is just in case. You'll find this out on your own, I'm sure, but accessing this menu quickly can quite literally be the difference between life and death."

Konstance played around with the menu until he felt like he had the hang of it. "Sorry if I'm bothering you, but I feel kind of lost here."

She laughed politely. "Oh, it's really no a problem at all, dear. I know how uncomfortable it can be when you feel like you're the only one who doesn't know what's going on. Don't worry, we've all been in your shoes before. You're not the first, and you certainly won't be the last."

"Well thanks for the help. What did you say your name was again?"

"Oh, you can call me Mags, dear." She studied him for a moment. "So you're the one Marcus chose as his replacement?"

"That's right, and it's Konstance", he introduced himself. "You're from District 4?"

"Born and raised", she stated proudly.

"Does that mean you volunteered too?"

"Volunteered? Oh, no, dear. Back then, nobody volunteered. I was reaped just like the rest of those poor souls. Of course, back then, 'reap' had a much different meaning."

"Different?", Konstance was confused. "Different how?"

"Dear boy, you should count yourself lucky you're not familiar with it." She sat down next to him and told the story of her own reaping.

"They would come for us in the night. You never knew when or who they were coming for, you could only hope that you weren't next on their list. When the peacekeepers paid someone a visit, you knew death was close behind, as if the reaper himself was among their ranks. I suppose that's where the term came from. Back then, they were still called the Treason Games. They were still a punishment for the people rising up. They didn't start calling it the Hunger Games until the quarter quell."

"I had no idea."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. I'm sure this was way before your time, and the Capitol does such an outstanding job of covering up the past." She winked and tapped her temple, "but they can't erase what I've got up here. I still remember the night they came for me. My sister and I were nearly asleep when they broke down the door. They dragged me right out of my bed, and I never saw my sister again. To this day, I don't know why it was me they came for. I have my theories, of course, but I suppose I will never know for sure."

"That sounds awful."

"Oh, I assure you, it was. Not that it's much better now, mind you, but at least you only need fear one day out of the year." She attempted a smile, but her heart just wasn't in it. "I was nine years old when the Capitol won the war, and I was sixteen when they threw me into the arena. That was about thirty years ago. I've never known a world without conflict, and I don't believe I ever will."

The statement weighed heavily on Konstance. He never really gave much thought to how the games first started. To him, they were just another part of life, as much as going to school was. He couldn't imagine a world without it. On his two screens, his tributes were being directed into their starting zones. The camera followed them through the underground corridors. As he watched, a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, Mags?"

"Yes, dear?"

"How are we seeing this?", he pointed to the screens. "Where is the camera?"

Mags sat back, smiling broadly at him. "Remind me to thank Marcus for choosing you as his replacement."

"Wait... what? Why?"

She pointed at the screen in front of him. "That will show your tributes anywhere they are in the arena, but you'll never see a camera for it on the main screen, or anywhere for that matter. Brutus has watched that screen for twelve years, and never once has he thought to question how it was possible."

"Really? It seems like a pretty obvious question to ask."

"It does to you, dear. It's not that obvious to everyone. That critical thinking is why you made it out of the arena. You know that, right?"

"Oh." Konstance didn't know what to say. "Well, thanks, I guess."

"You'll see. I'm sure it will make sense when the games start. I have a feeling you're going to fit right in with us once you get the hang of things. As for the cameras, I don't know all the details, but it has something to do with electromagnets and the tracking devices they implant in their arms. If you really want to know, I bet the science geeks over there could give you a better explanation."

She pointed over at the two olive-skinned mentors nearby, sitting under the banner marked "District 3". One of them had pulled out a deck of cards, and the two were playing a game of poker as if this were a weekend social.

"Don't they care that the games are about to start?", Konstance was a bit worried about their apparent apathy. "Shouldn't they be, I don't know, doing something?"

She watched him curiously. "And what would you suggest they do?"

"I don't know", Konstance shrugged. "It just looks like they don't really care is all."

"Don't let them fool you, dear. Despite their looks, they should not be underestimated. Half the time, I don't know what they're doing myself, but that doesn't mean _they_ don't know what they're doing. Not all of us look like warriors, but every single person in this room has won the games. Even them. I remember both of their victories. There are more ways to win the games than by swinging a sword, my dear. They know that better than anyone."

The Capitol anthem began playing over the speakers, and all other noises in the room ceased as everyone turned their full attention to the main screen. At the District 3 table, the playing cards were gone, and both mentors were at full attention. On the screens in front of Konstance, both Wolfram and Silica were in their tubes ready to be lifted into the arena.

This was it. The games were about to begin.

Next to him, the seat he supposed belonged to Brutus was conspicuously empty. When he brought this up to Mags, she shrugged. "Sometimes he's here, sometimes he isn't. Honestly, it doesn't make much difference right now. At this point, the tributes are on their own. For now, all we can really do is watch and wait for the dust to settle." She nodded toward the main screen.

A series of shots played, advancing too rapidly for Konstance to recognize what they each were. The sun reflected brightly off of a grid of glass. A large rat scurried into an crevice. The charred remains of what might have once been a hovercraft. A circular metallic plate marked "WSNY". A series of white and yellow painted lines.

The main screen then switched to a wide shot, showing the twenty-four pedestals in the usual circle as Claudius jubilantly declared, "Welcome to Ground Zero!"

The pedestals rose and the countdown began as Claudius made his ominous introduction. "In days of old, it is said that over eight million people made their homes here, but today, that number is precisely twenty-four. Like the mighty phoenix, the original founders of Panem rose out of the ashes of this world. Who will be strong enough to rise from the ashes this year?"

Konstance wasn't sure what to think. This was not at all like his arena. Where he had emerged into a grassy knoll, these tributes were treated to a flat span of cracked, weathered stone. Instead of the massive trees and jungle vines, this arena boasted twisted steel, shattered glass, and exposed iron rebar. It was about as far from his rainforest jungle as it could possibly be. It was, for lack of a better term, a concrete jungle.


	27. Arnold II

**Chapter 23**

Arnold shielded his eyes as the top of the pedestal gave way, revealing the blinding sunlight. As his eyes adjusted, the first thing he noticed was the golden cornucopia shimmering in the distance, distorted by the heat sizzling off the cracked pavement in front of him. A brief gust of wind whipped up a small cloud of dust that shimmered in the afternoon sun.

Arnold felt like a pancake on a griddle plate as the heat baked him from every direction. Giant metallic structures towered over him, their dark peaks pushing up against the brilliant blue sky. Eroding stone gargoyles stared menacingly down at him from all angles. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, and he tried to wrap his head around much time and manpower it must have taken to create all these massive structures.

He shook himself out of the trance, hoping that he hadn't wasted too much time gaping at the giant buildings. For the first time, he looked at the pedestals around him. It was immediately obvious who his target would be. Directly to his left, Coralie yawned, stretching her hands up over her head. She did several other stretches and popped her neck. She didn't seem to be under any pressure. If anything, she seemed bored.

 _Good_. Arnold reassured himself. _We still have the element of surprise._

To his left, Hannah looked more frightened than her usual self. When he caught her eye, Arnold signaled that they would be going for Coralie. Hannah gulped, then nodded. She looked more determined now, though she was still visibly shaking.

On the other side of Coralie was Zephyr. The two exchanged quick hand motions. It looked like she was going for Coralie as well. The knife hidden in his waistband jutted into his hip bone, and the discomfort was reassuring.

When the gong sounded, Arnold pulled the knife from his waistband and rushed in, but Zephyr got there first. Two quick jabs and a sweeping kick brought Coralie down before she had time to even register she was being attacked. Zephyr hadn't been bragging to Austin earlier- she really was holding out during training.

She glanced over at Arnold, then at the knife in his hand, and the message was clear: it was up to him to finish the job. Her hair whipped through the air as she turned to help Jade, who had jumped on Ian Sinclair's back, and was now boxing his ears as he tried to shake her off.

Arnold clutched the knife in his right hand. _Nothing fancy. Just finish the job._

He steeled himself, then found the spot on the back of her neck he wanted to strike. He thrust the knife down just as Coralie turned toward him, and the blade found its mark in her left eye. Arnold's stomach dropped out as Coralie's eye exploded in a burst of liquid, painting Arnold's face with pus, mucus, and blood.

It was surprisingly hot.

He tasted something metallic and gagged, imagining the burst of pus filling his mouth. Coralie let out a piercing shriek, and Arnold's hand recoiled from the hilt of the knife as if it were a stove-top pan on boil. He almost apologized on instinct.

 _What have I done?_

He couldn't stop staring in horror at the now unnaturally deflated eyeball. Recovering, Coralie looked up at him, and the embedded knife moved in the conspicuously empty socket with her gaze. Arnold felt sick. She reached up and yanked the knife out, pulling the rest of here eye with it. The wound burst open, spewing blood with a new vigor. The remains of the deflated eyeball dangled on Coralie's cheek, supported only by the optic nerve.

It was too much for Arnold. He turned away, unable to look. He stomach churned, and he bent over and vomited.

Something heavy struck him from behind. He felt a searing pain in his back, and he knew it was the knife. It dug into the flesh of his back as he was knocked down. He hit the pavement hard. A loud crunch reverberated through his skull, and he spit out the small shards that suddenly filled his mouth. For a brief second, his curious tongue investigated the now jagged edges of his jaw line before his nerves registered the shattered teeth. The pain was excruciating, dizzying.

The heat of the pavement seared at his cheeks for only a moment before he was forcibly rolled over onto his back, pinned by Coralie's knees on his shoulders. His terror was extreme. Then suddenly, a kind of indifference, a deep and welcome sleepiness took him. Everything slowed down. As if in a dream, he could see the all the individual strands of Coralie's light blonde hair in front of his face. He saw them with a kind of apathetic intensity. He almost didn't mind the sharp pain in his eye, and he almost didn't care that it was his eye now that clung to the end of the knife in Coralie's hand. It seemed to be happening to someone else. He was somewhere far away.

He had a moment of surprise when he felt the bones of his skull crunching loudly.

And then blackness.


	28. Austin IV

**Chapter 24**

Austin spotted Hannah far to his left. She wasn't near enough that he could protect her, but she was next to Zephyr, the only other person besides himself he could trust to keep her safe. Confident that she was in good hands, he turned his focus to his own situation. He smiled. He couldn't have asked for a better setup.

To his immediate right, Bekka was bobbing up and down on her toes, flexing her fingers, practically humming with excitement. She had no idea what was about to hit her. On the other side of her, Rocco nodded solemnly at him. Austin made several quick hand gestures, signalling his intention to target Bekka. Rocco returned them, giddy with anticipation, hardly able to contain his excitement.

Austin took a deep breath and made himself relax. This wasn't the first brawl he would be participating in. He knew about what to expect. He found that he was less terrified now than he had been the first time, and he was certainly less manic. He supposed that was the experience at work.

Looking around, seeing his friends working together, singling out the careers one by one, he was sure his intuition had been right. If this was going to work at all, it would be now. There was still a long way to go, but they had it made, he was sure of it. He locked eyes with Rocco once more, mentally willing him to stay calm and stick to the plan.

When the gong sounded Rocco let out a whooping battle cry as he leaped off of his pedestal.

It was the worst thing he could possibly have done.

The element of surprise vanished as Bekka turned her full attention to Rocco. He brandished his knife at her menacingly, but it did nothing to slow her down. His face fell, as if just realizing the true seriousness of the situation. Suddenly, this wasn't all fun and games anymore.

Austin knew he wasn't going to get there in time. All he could do was yell and hope that the message got through. "Rocco! Water! Like water!"

His words found Rocco at the right moment. _Don't be so tense. You have to be fluid. Use the enemy's force against him._

Following Austin's prior example, Rocco stepped to the side as Bekka lunged at him, and he flipped her over his outstretched foot. She tumbled over and let out a grunt as she landed flat on her back. Rocco couldn't believe it. He did it! He actually did it! He pointed at the downed Bekka, and shouted at Austin, "It worked! It actually worked! Did you see that?"

Austin could see the whole scene playing out, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Behind Rocco, Bekka was instantly back on her feet. Austin watched as Rocco's giddy smile turned to confusion as Bekka pulled the knife from his hand. The confusion became a pained grimace as he doubled over. She stabbed him one more time in the neck for good measure, then carelessly tossed him aside.

It was clear that she could handle a knife as well as he could, possibly better. This was trouble. Luckily, he had an ace in the hole. He was grateful that he spent so much time practicing Zephyr's signature move. He made a show of dropping his knife, and it clattered to the pavement. He grinned broadly at his opponent as he raised both of his hands into the air. "Looks like you got me. I surrender."

The strange behavior caused Bekka to pause a moment, judging the situation. He could tell that she suspected something, but he knew that she wasn't going to expect this. His maniacal grin returned as she advanced, apparently deciding that she could handle whatever he had planned.

When he gauged the distance was right, Austin planted his foot and whipped his body around as he had practiced over and over in his dormitory during the past two days. As Zephyr said it would, muscle memory took over, and he didn't even have to think about it. He planted his lead foot into the pavement, but it didn't find solid ground. What he judged to be a thin layer of water on the surface turned out to be a rather deep pothole, and his plant foot sank ankle deep into the water. He couldn't stop the rotation, and fell flat on his face right at Bekka's feet.

How embarrassing.

He recovered quickly and reached for the knife he dropped earlier. As he wrapped his hand around it, a weight descended on the back of his head, shoving his face down into the puddle. It took him a moment to realize that she was sitting on him.

He blindly swung the knife up, but she easily knocked it away. It clattered out of his hands, and he instinctively cursed, losing precious air. He tried to punch her, but his arms simply didn't bend that way, and the strikes were awkward and weak. He tried to wriggle out, but Bekka held fast. He wasn't going to be able to do this gracefully. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to do it at all.

Fuck them all if he died like this.

He was running out of air; it was time for unconventional tactics. He reached his hand around and slipped it under her shirt, hoping that his groping hands might break her concentration. All he needed was the slightest hesitation to roll out from under her. He received a knife through the wrist for his trouble, but she didn't budge an inch.

There was simply nothing he could do, or if there was, he couldn't think of it. His only hope was for somebody to see that he was in trouble and come to his rescue.

 _Zephyr, if you're out there, I could really use your help._

But Zephyr didn't come. Nobody came. Bekka remained firmly planted on Austin's head until he ran out of air. His last thought was that his death wasn't even going to be significant enough to warrant a cannon shot.


	29. Silica IV

**Chapter 25**

Silica wasn't confident in her ability with any particular weapon. Her uniform bore the crest of a career tribute district, but she felt like an imposter, and this is where her true identity would be revealed. Sure, she could talk all day about the self defense techniques Konstance taught her, but she had never used them before, and she certainly wasn't one of those bloodthirsty tributes the district was known for. When it came right down to it, she was just an ordinary person. Sure, she had the training, but she didn't have much confidence in it. She'd never really had to test it out before. If any tribute attacked her, she couldn't say for sure what the outcome would be.

She looked to her left and right, assessing the competition. On her right stood the girl from five. No problems there. To her left, the two males from ten and eleven seemed to be conspiring with each other, but that was fine. It could have been a lot worse. At least she wasn't up against that creepy guy from seven or the monster from five.

She studied the guy to her left once more. He was a bit on the heavy side. If she got off the pedestal fast enough, even if he wanted to attack her- not that there was any reason he would- there was no way he'd be able to catch her if she was sprinting, she knew it. Her best bet would be to get a weapon as soon as possible, then join up with the others to help clean up whoever was stupid enough to stick around for too long.

She scanned the weapon racks near the mouth of the cornucopia, hoping for a set of war fans, but she didn't see any. Her eyes settled on a sword nearly twenty yards in. She recognized the crest on the hilt. It was the same sword she was practicing with earlier; the same one she had been using when June gave her tips on improving her fighting style.

 _That sword is mine. They put that there just for me.  
_

She adjusted her stance, setting her sights on the sword. In a corner of her mind, some primal instinct sent up a red flag. Her subconscious warned her that something strange was occurring, that something was off, though she couldn't say exactly what it was. Perhaps it was something she saw it out of the corner of her eye, a fleeting sound on the wind, body language that only her most basic instincts could understand. She quickly looked to her left and her right, examining the tributes around her, but everything looked normal.

Still, something felt wrong.

She shook her head, dismissing it as paranoia. This was not the time for her nerves to fail her. She tuned out all other noises, focusing her ears to listen only for the tone of the gong. The world around her fell away. There was nothing else here except her and that sword.

When the gong sounded, she was off like a shot, paranoia following closely on her heels. As she sprinted, her imagination conjured up the shape of tributes chasing after her, nearly catching her, and it pushed her forward. Even running at top speed, she kept expecting a hand to fall on her shoulder, a surprise attack to come from behind, but she didn't dare look back.

She sprinted with everything that she had. Twenty yards. Ten yards. Five yards. She could feel the person chasing her breathing down her neck. When she was close enough, she dove for it. She grabbed the hilt, then tucked and rolled. She swung the sword wildly behind her, hoping to catch her pursuer off guard.

The sword found only air. There was nobody there. Nobody was chasing her. It was all in her head. Standing up, she found that it was oddly quiet. It wasn't just that nobody was chasing her, but there was nobody anywhere.

The bloodbath was already over.

She scanned the empty field around her. The tributes must have been smart this year; they must have all fled immediately. Good for them. No, wait, that wasn't quite right. There was one tribute left. She almost missed it, because she blended right in. She was sitting down on her pedestal cross-legged. She hadn't moved an inch since the games started.

When she saw that Silica noticed her, June gave her the slightest of smiles.

Silica approached her, dropping the sword as she grew near. She knew about what she was _supposed_ to do, but she wasn't really sure if she _could_ do it. She knew that June wasn't a threat, and she didn't know if she could bring herself to attack an unarmed tribute, though maybe that was part of June's master plan. Silica stopped several steps in front of her, and the two stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"You really weren't kidding about that whole not fighting thing."

"Not a whit, we defy augury-", June started.

"There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow", Silica finished. "I know, I know, but this just doesn't seem right."

June sighed, and looked up at the sky, the brilliant blue reflecting in her eyes. "A sky this lovely will not always remain sunny. There will be times when the rain will fall and storms will carry on. The scenery will change, but if it is left alone, it will stay changed forever." She looked back at Silica. "For that, you must continue to fight, because that is to live."

"You say the strangest things", Silica shook her head. "It almost makes me think-"

June's eyes darted over her shoulder, and Silica instinctively turned to see what drew her attention. When she did, her heart skipped a beat. _Oh shit._

"You keep away from her!" June's district partner was barreling toward her at top speed, tears streaming down his face, a sword raised- _her_ sword. _Stupid Silica!_ The bloodbath wasn't over yet, and she berated herself for assuming that it was. _Stupid Silica! Stupid!_

There was no time to find a weapon. There was no time to come up with a strategy. There was no time to even think. She thanked the weavers of fate for Konstance and his self defense classes. As Joel steamed toward her, she held her best defensive posture and braced for impact.


	30. Joel

**Chapter 26**

Joel was grateful to be in sight of June. As he watched, she sat down cross-legged on her pedestal, pensive as ever, as if she were merely attending a picnic with her friends. She had no delusions about her fate, and to some extent, Joel envied that. June scanned the faces along the pedestals, coming to a stop as she spotted Joel as well.

The two locked eyes, and he nodded at her respectfully. She smiled back sweetly, as if to say that no matter what happened, everything was going to be okay. It was the first time she seemed truly happy, and it warmed his heart. She reached up and touched her cheek, showing that they were dry. He dabbed at his own cheeks, and was surprised to find streaks of tears, though they didn't feel like sad tears this time.

A motion in the corner of his eye grabbed his attention, and he turned to see Anna jumping up and down on her pedestal. The girl was strange, no doubt about it, but even this was curious behavior. When she saw that he had his attention, she jerked her head as discreetly as she could manage, motioning past him.

On the pedestal to his left, the male tribute from District 1 staring directly at him.

Anna's behavior must have caught his attention as well. The career tribute's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, and Joel could see the gears turning in his head. Just past him, Jason and Edward were both glaring at him expectantly.

The realization hit him all at once, ripping him from the warm fuzzy daydream, depositing him back into the icy cold waters of reality. He quickly ran a hand through his hair, then scratched the back of his neck. Edward and Jason both nodded, and Joel steeled himself. The motion was meant to send a clear and simple message. _I am the_ _bait._

Joel shifted his gaze back to the District 1 male next to him, whose eyes were studying him as well. He had a brief moment of panic, wondering if he caught the relayed message. If he did, he did nothing to show it, though he also had the sort of eyes that were completely unreadable. As the clock ticked down, his stare never shifted from him.

At the sound of the gong, Ajax carefully stepped down from his pedestal in Joel's direction, his eyes still locked on him. Joel was utterly terrified, but he believed in his friends, and that belief, more than anything else, is what gave him the strength to do what he needed to do. He pulled the hidden knife from his waistband and charged in.

Joel, Jason, and Edward all converged on Ajax at once, swarming him like angry bees from a hive. Joel arrived first, thrusting his knife at the unarmed career tribute. Without breaking his stare, Ajax grabbed Joel's wrist mid-thrust, clamping down with an iron grip. His reflexes were incredibly fast.

Jason used this moment of distraction to strike, but Ajax blocked him without even looking. Though his eyes were on Joel the whole time, he had clearly been expecting Jason's attack. With his free hand, Ajax grabbed Joel by the scruff of his collar and chucked him carelessly against the base of his pedestal, then turned to face Edward.

On impact, Joel's vision flashed white. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but his brain froze up for a few seconds, and he forgot where he was. The world spun around him, and a bell was ringing loudly in his ears. His chest was drained, and it throbbed where it hit the edge of the pedestal. He tried to take in some air, but only managed to make a weak raspy sound. He rolled over, and a searing pain shot up through his chest. It felt as if his rib cage had collapsed, crushing his lungs. He hoped he was wrong about that.

As he slowly regained his ability to breathe, he got his elbows up under him, propping himself up to see what was happening. His vision was blurred, and the world around him moved in sluggish frames. The immediate area seemed to be full of struggling figures, though they were moving too quickly for him to be able to discern friend from foe. Shouts floated past him on the wind, fragments of screams, obscenities, orders, though his head was still too fuzzy to comprehend them.

For a moment, he thought he had lost the precious knife, but he found it a few feet away on the ground. It shone in the gleaming sunlight, and he had just enough presence of mind to scoop it up. His vision began to become cohesive once more, and Joel could see that they were in trouble.

Nearby, the career tribute who threw him head first into the pedestal now had Zephyr pinned against the ground. She was screaming curses at him. Joel started to get up, but another one stepped between them, looming over him, a dark shadow against the bright sky. She placed a foot on his chest and pushed him over backward.

He screamed as pain reverberated through his rib cage. She raised her sword, preparing to finish the job, when, out of nowhere, Jade popped up behind her, hitting her with with some kind of long, wooden rod. The weapon snapped across her shoulder, and the splinters showered down onto Joel. The blow didn't seem to cause any damage at all. If anything, she looked mildly amused. She turned and kicked the fragmented rod out of Jade's hand, then shoved her over as well.

Jade was handling this much better than he was. She was already back on her feet, launching wild attacks with both arms, mixing in a slew of vulgar cursing that Joel would never have expected to hear from the timid girl. Her blows were rapid and forceful, but three of the others joined in, creating an impenetrable defensive barrier.

Where had they come from? Where were all of his friends?

Joel sat up all the way now, trying his best to ignore the pain shooting through his body. His head was a lot clearer now. Looking around, he was horrified to find that they were losing this battle handily. The careers were far more organized than any of them had expected. Their attacks were coordinated, and they moved in sync. The careers were making their little club's surprise attack look like a joke. In his concussed, addled state, Joel almost felt a sort of admiration of their calm competence.

Jason had been right. They were simply no match for the careers. This was their show now.

His chest throbbed, but his fear gave him strength, and he got to his feet. He moved to help Jade, but his foot caught on something and had to catch himself. He looked down to see his foot grazing against something bright red. The water soaked the bottom half of Austin's hair as he lay motionless, face down in a puddle.

 _I won't die no matter what! That's what I believe, and you should believe it too! I'm the guy who's going to win this thing!_

It was only yesterday that Austin said these words, his maniacal golden eyes flashing with mischief. Now here he was, face down in a puddle, as lifeless as Jade's splintered weapon on the ground next to him.

"Jade!", Joel whipped around, the splintered rod reminding him of the girl that saved his life only a few moments earlier. Four of the career tributes surrounded her, brandishing various weapons. They were playing with their new pet. She turned toward him at the sound of her name. When she recognized him, she waved him away, motioning for him to flee.

"No!", Joel yelled. "I won't leave you!"

But it was too late. Jade's arm now fell free of her body, seeming to float down through the air, spraying crimson blood across the front of her uniform. Jade herself collapsed soon after, landing next to Zephyr's lifeless body. A heavy weight descended upon him as he realized that he had let all of his friends down.

 _No. Not all of them._

He turned to his left and spotted June. She was still alive, but one of them was standing over her. They were playing with her too. They could do whatever they wanted to him, but he was not going to let them mess with his June. His fear and confusion were gone. He'd lost track of them some time during all the fighting, but this fight wasn't over yet. He'd let everyone else down, but he made her a promise, and he wasn't about to break it.

He charged across the field at full throttle. He could sense the career tributes behind him, chasing him, but he wasn't going to be stopped. He refused to be stopped. Someone had strewn a sword on the ground, and he swept it up. He gripped it tightly, the handle pressing against the rose ring on his finger. The ring that represented his unbreakable promise, a promise he intended to keep.

The previous night came back to him in a series of flashes.

 _I killed her! I killed my own sister and this is my punishment!  
_

"It's not your fault, June", Joel replied softly.

"It _is_ my fault!" Her polite facade gave way, revealing the turbulent storm of emotions she must have been hiding this whole time behind that otherwise polite demeanor. "I killed her! It was me, nobody else!" She shrieked at him, as if he were trying to steal her most valuable possession.

"It's not your fault", he repeated. "Nobody blames you. Nobody but you, and I think it's about time that you forgive yourself."

"It's not fair!", she sobbed. "It is simply not fair! Why is all of this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?"

"You can't think about it like that", Joel gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You know, if I hadn't been reaped, I never would have met you. I didn't do anything to deserve that either, but here we are." He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a crumbled piece of foil used to wrap the lunch sandwiches, and shaped it into a crude ring. "There's not another girl in the world I'd rather be with right now than you, June. If you are willing, I would like to enter a contract with you."

She gasped suddenly, as if someone just dumped ice cold water over her. She sat motionless, staring at the crumbled piece of foil that Joel held out to her.

"What's the matter?" He was starting to get worried. "Didn't I do it right?"

June was breathing hard, one hand on her chest. She looked like she was either going to cry or be sick, or both. He really hoped she did neither of those things. A quick, compulsive sob tried to grip her, but she caught herself. Her voice was shaky as she replied, "It is customary to offer the bride a personal vow, then kiss the ring to seal the contract."

He smiled, taking her hand in his. "Then I vow that when the careers are out of the way, I will stay by your side until the very end. If you must die, I will make sure it as swiftly and cleanly as possible, and I promise that when I win the games, I will make sure that all of Panem knows that you died with honor."

He gingerly lifted her hand, slipped the foil ring onto her finger, and kissed it.

 _When love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with harmony._ She'd read the words in some play whose name she couldn't recall. They stood out to her, but she never understood their true meaning until this moment.

Her blue eyes gazed wondrously into his then, just as they did now.

Joel charged forward, shoving the career tribute aside. With all of the willpower he could muster, he screamed out in defiance as he thrust the sword forward with all of his strength, sending the blade straight through June's heart.

"I'm sorry, June!", he sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"

He tackled her, gripping her tightly as they both fell to the ground. Her image grew fuzzy as his eyes welled up with tears. She reached up and caressed his cheek, using her thumb to wipe the tears from his eyes. She coughed, splattering blood on her chin, and it ran down the side of her face, mingling with Joel's tears falling down from above. Then she was still, her face frozen in a sweet smile.

It was all too much for Joel. He stood up and he started running. He ran and he ran and he ran until the muscles in his legs screamed out in pain, and then he ran some more. He found a small alcove among the rubble and squeezed through the tiny opening. He curled up into a ball in the cramped space, hurting too much to even cry. He closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to envelop him.

Outside, it started to rain.


	31. Ian

**Part 4: Favorable Odds**

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

From the moment the gong sounded, the mentor room descended into utter chaos. The room filled with the desperate screams of mentors as their tributes ran straight into their own deaths. It was impossible to tell what was going on; there was simply too much happening at once. Even Claudius was overwhelmed by all of the action that was happening simultaneously. He barely had time to give the details of one fight before moving on to the next. Unable to decide which fight to televise, the main coverage split into four sections, each showing a different focal point of action, but this only made it more confusing for everyone.

Mags was right. There was absolutely nothing that they could do.

All around the room, monitors went dark as tributes fell. Mentors screamed at the tributes on their respective screens, but their voices went unheard by those they were screaming to. On his own screen, Konstance could only hope that Silica and Wolf could fend off their attackers. Despite the consequences, he couldn't help thinking that it was indeed an interesting gambit. It certainly wasn't one he had ever seen before. The career tributes who weren't targeted rushed to the center for the best weapons, unaware that their teammates were fending off multiple attackers at once.

Had more of them been dedicated to the tactic, they may well have pulled it off. However, once the element of surprise was gone, the careers faced their attackers head on, and the tides turned almost immediately. The ones who rushed to the center realized what was going on, and came to the aid of their allies with superior weapons in hand.

Monitors were going dark all around him as the outer district tributes fell. There was a loud crashing sound at the far end of the room as the lone mentor for District 12 smashed his equipment in frustration before storming out of the room, leaving the escort standing by looking thoroughly shocked by his behavior. Konstance turned his attention from the main games coverage to the screens showing his two tributes. Neither had been targeted, thank goodness, though the fight wasn't over yet. Two of the outer district tributes remained, one charging head on for Silica.

"Behind you! Turn around!", Konstance found himself yelling at the screen now, but she couldn't hear him. At the last minute she did turn, but by then it was too late. She moved to block him, but the kid rushed right past her, as if she wasn't even there. He would have run straight over her if she hadn't stepped out of the way. He launched himself up and tackled the girl still sitting on her pedestal. Konstance had to double check to make sure, but it looked like he just took out his own district partner. Insane.

"I'm sorry, June!", the boy sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"

Konstance cringed; it was hard to watch. Silica was too stunned to move. She gaped as the boy darted off, leaving the sword behind. He sobbed loudly as he ran, his wails echoing off the metallic structures.

The action ended as abruptly as it started. Claudius finally managed to catch up on his announcements, capping it all by proudly declaring that a new games record was just set. Five entire districts were eliminated in the first minute. Konstance looked up at the game clock. It read twenty-seven seconds, though it felt like much more time had passed than that. Only twelve screens remained active, including all six of the career tributes.

Their gambit, it seemed, had been an absolute failure.

The only tribute still going was Coralie, who was frantically stabbing someone who was clearly already dead. It wasn't until Ian grabbed her wrist that she finally stopped. The long dead tribute's face was mutilated beyond recognition. He shook a small container at her, the contents rattling against the plastic. "Something for the pain. I'd take two in your case."

Coralie stabbed what remained of Arnold one last time, embedding the knife up to the hilt in his exposed sinus cavity before snatching the container from Ian's hand. She poured the contents into her open palm. She sifted through the small pills, brought three of them to her mouth, then returned the rest to the container. She chewed them up, screwing up her face at the bitter taste, then unceremoniously tossed the container aside.

"Now let's see about that eye of yours." Ian dropped a first aid kit beside her and motioned for her to lay back. He scrounged around the bag, pulling out a pair of thin scissors, a roll of gauze, and a bottle of isopropyl alcohol. "This will hurt, but I assure you that I am not your enemy. There may come a time when this changes, but for now, we both desire the same thing." He rolled up a small piece of cloth and held it over her mouth. "You may also wish to bite down on this." She obliged, taking the wad of fabric between her teeth, biting down hard.

"Don't worry, this will be over before you know it." He gave her a grimaced smile, then severed the optic nerve. She let out a piercing shriek as the deflated eyeball fell free. Even muffled by the cloth, the unnerving sound made Konstance's skin crawl. A solid poke to his side brought him out of his trance. He looked over to find Brutus in the seat next to his.

"So, what did I miss? Did everyone make it or did you screw up again?"

"There wasn't really much to screw up", he shrugged. "At least I was here. Where were you?"

"While you were sitting here on your ass doing squat, I was busy getting us a few more sponsors." He shifted in his char, and it creaked, complaining about the excess weight it now held. On the screens in front of him, Silica joined Wolf and the others, gathered around Ian and Coralie.

As he cleaned the gelled tissue from around her eye, Ian reassured her. "You have proven yourself this day, but I am beginning to think that the idea of justice is no more than a fantasy. I've always held that those like us who can achieve something are heroes, while those that fail are inevitably the villains." He unrolled a ball of cotton and began cleaning up the excess blood. He mumbled, almost to himself, "However, if winners are righteous and losers are evil, then why do things like this happen?"

"Because I was fucking stupid..." Coralie winced as Ian pressed more padding into her eye socket. It still throbbed, but the worst of it was over.

He held the padding down until the white cotton morphed into a dark crimson. He tossed the bloody cotton ball aside, replacing it with new padding. "Let's wait to stack up our regrets until the games are over, shall we? Until then, let's focus on the task at hand." He tilted her head up and wrapped gauze around it, holding the padding securely in place. "There, that should hold you for a while. It may feel strange for now, but trust me, you'll get used to it. If the padding starts to feel loose, let me know immediately and I will redress it."

Something occurred to Konstance, and he leaned around Brutus to address the mentor at the table next to them. "Hey Mags, that's your tribute, right? What is he looking at? Shouldn't he be paying attention to her while he's wrapping her eye?"

"Shit!" The mentor sitting next to Mags threw up his arms. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He dug through it and handed over several large bills to Mags. She gave him a gloating smile.

"Thank you!" She made a show of snatching the money from his hands, beaming at Konstance. "I knew you wouldn't let me down! I'll buy you a drink later with this." She held the money up in front of her pouting partner and waggled it in front of his face.

"Wait, so..."

The male mentor from four sighed. "He's blind."

"What do you mean blind?", Konstance asked incredulously. He knew what the word meant, of course, but the implications were almost unbelievable. "As in he can't see?"

"That's correct", Mags nodded, pocketing the money. "People judge him for it, so he made us promise not to let anyone know. He wanted to be treated for his skill rather than his physical attributes." She jerked a thumb at the mentor beside her. "Marlin here didn't think either of you would notice until at least the second day."

"Hell, I didn't notice myself until you pointed it out, Mags."

"So that's why his score was so low", Konstance nodded, putting the pieces together. "I was wondering about that."

On the screen, Ian seemed to be finishing up with Coralie's patch job. She patted the eye, trying to come to terms with her new facial feature. "Thanks, Ian. I owe you one."

"Be at ease. I am simply an instrument of karma." He offered her a hand and helped her stand up. "In this case, it happens to be your karma."

"He can't see", Marlin explained, "but his hearing is impeccable. He uses it like radar. I've never seen anything like it."

"He doesn't let it slow him down, anyway", Mags filled in. "You might see his lack of sight as a weakness, but in my opinion, there is no set of skills with absolute strength over another. Don't be fooled, dear. Eyesight or not, he is certainly as capable as the others."

Konstance leaned back in his chair and studied Ian on the main screen. You really couldn't tell if you weren't looking for it. So many strange things had already occurred, and it was only the first day. He was almost afraid to think about what the next few days would have in store.


	32. IMPORTANT UPDATE

Hello fellow Hunger Games fans! It's been a great Nanowrimo, and I did manage to hit the goal I set for myself, which feels awesome! WOOT! Thanks for supporting me this whole time!

However, I have also just landed a new job that will be taking up a good chunk of my free time, so although I intend to finish this eventually, it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon. I have the entire plot of this story all worked out, and I think it would be kind of a shame to keep it from you since you have come this far, so here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to go ahead and post summaries of the chapters that I have planned from here to the end. When I was writing this, I jumped around a lot, so some chapters are more complete than others. Some will include character quotes I planned on using, while others may be meager bare bones summaries, while others still may be the complete product. I seriously bounced all over the place when I was writing this, adding to whatever chapter I felt like adding to that day. I will include a bold notice at the top of each of these summary chapters as well as include "SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER" in the chapter title so you will know beforehand if what you've about to read is a filler or an actual chapter in case you do want to wait until the chapters are complete. I wanted to give you that choice.

Again, thank you for all the inspiration! I couldn't have done it without you. Yes, even you stalker reader- even your view shows up on the story traffic page, telling me that people are very interested in this story. Feel free to wait on the actual chapters if you want, but I'm super stoked about the twists this story has in store, and I am dying to hear what you guys think about it.

Onward and Forward!


	33. Chapter 28 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

Asper didn't sleep that night. She did try, because sleeping was something you did at night, and it seemed especially important now than ever, but it was never going to happen. After a couple of hours of staring at the ceiling, her mind spinning and lurching, like a music player trying to read a scratched CD, but couldn't quite find the next track, she gave up.

It was cold, and an involuntary shiver passed through her body. It was dark outside now, and it was raining. She had no idea how much time had passed since she entered the bloodbath. She was one of the few outsiders who knew what was going to happen. She had seen the games plenty of times to know what happened to tributes who stuck around during the bloodbath, and she wanted no part of it. When the gong sounded, she turned and fled.

She didn't get far. She entered one of the nearby office buildings through one of the broken panes of glass in the revolving front door. She scrambled across the foyer, then hid under the front desk. She'd found a soft, cozy piece of carpet, and there, she waited and listened, hoping that nobody was following her. That was hours ago.

It only occurred to her now, as she lay cold and hungry, shivering in the dark, that it would have been prudent to salvage even the most meager of supplies while the others were distracted, but that didn't occur to her at the time. In fact, nothing really occurred to her at the time but to get away from that place as quickly as possible.

 **Asper has absolutely nothing. She doesn't necessarily regret not joining Austin's club, but she wished she had made more friends during training. Ah well, too late to change that. This is reality, not a daydream, and she realizes that she has to go back for supplies. She sets up a few traps, then decides to raid the career camp.  
**

She was aware that the safeguards were more for her own peace of mind than for protection. The careers were stronger than her when they were distracted. If they were actively hunting her, they would be on another power scale entirely. They would have nothing to keep them from coming at her with everything they had.

She didn't have a glimmer of a plan, but she knew that this would be her best chance.

 **Outside, it is dark and rainy. It is the perfect cover. She can see the cornucopia in the distance, but her feet have a mind of their own. She can't get her body to move.**

After a few hesitant steps, she turned around and headed back to the safety of the building. She couldn't stop herself. It was like her legs were bionic and somebody else was controlling them.

 **She finally manages to override it, and steps carefully out into the rain, taking cautious step after step toward the supplies. There is nobody on guard. They must either all be out hunting or taking shelter somewhere. The fact that she doesn't know where they are is more frightening than if they were right in front of her. She keeps looking over her shoulder, but keeps creeping forward. She manages to grab meager supplies out of the outskirts and takes them back. It was easy, so she goes back for more stuff, more confident this time. As she gathers more supplies, she gets bolder and bolder. On the third or fourth run, she looks up and Ian is standing in the mouth of the cornucopia. He isn't looking at her, but the terror comes rushing back all at once.**

She froze, her heart pounding. She felt exposed, but she didn't dare move and risk drawing attention. She became aware of her breathing, coming in shallow rasps. There was an odd clattering sound, and she realized it was her own knees knocking together as they shook. This is what it felt like to fear for your life.

 **Something else catches Ian's attention, and Asper bolts. She has been tempting fate too many times. Hubris getting the best of her. Ian didn't look at her, and she can't see him, but she can't help but think that he is following her. She weaves her way through the winding corridors of the building, weaving in and out of the rooms in a series of intricate loops, doubling back on her trail. She felt not unlike a fox on the run from wolves.  
**

She kept glancing behind her, worrying that at any moment the boy would round the corner, this time with reinforcements, to claim the stolen goods. She worried to the point that she lost her shit every time something creaked or groaned, or when her foot crunched on any of the many flecks of crumbling cement littering the ground.

 **She ends her flight near the top of one of the high-rise buildings overlooking the cornucopia. She presses her face to the glass, looking down, but she only sees shadows slinking through the rain. There is something moving around out there, but she can't make it out. She hears a howling sound in the distance, and barricades the door.  
**

They had to be after her. There was no way they were going to let this go, not after all that had happened. The only question was when.


	34. Chapter 29 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

There were so many things to be grateful for. Ignatio was grateful for the buildings. It meant that she didn't have to bother building a shelter. She was grateful for the sacrifices made by the other tributes earlier that allowed her to get away with a pack full of decent supplies. As she crept through the night, she was grateful for the rain and the darkness that gave her cover.

 **Ignatio Rose Leukannen is approaching the cornucopia from the other direction. She is a bit proud of her plan until she sees someone else and ducks behind cover.**

Was it one of them? No, she was too small. It was another tribute like her, hoping to take advantage of the darkness and the rain. Someone beat her to the punch.

 **She steps back and watches this bold kid as she goes in and out, grabbing supplies, going in farther and farther each time. What a champ. Then Ian comes out. There is a standoff between the two, both motionless, waiting for the other to make a mistake. Ignatio chucks something off into the dark, and the splash grabs Ian's attention. Asper uses this to make her escape. Ignatio follows her.**


	35. Joel II

**Chapter 30**

Even if he were in the most comfortable of beds, sleep wouldn't have come to Joel. This morning, he had so many friends, and now they were all gone. They were all dead, one of them by his own hand. He had no reason to keep fighting, no reason to keep living, no reason at all.

 _You must keep living, because to live is to fight!_

He could hear June speaking the words in her soft, tender voice. He heard her words as clearly as if she were sitting right beside him, whispering into his ear.

She had been the smartest of all of them, that much was clear to Joel now. While the rest of them carried on with their silly daydreams about ambushing the careers, June had no delusions about the true horror that was coming. She had known it would come to this, and she had chosen to remain true to herself through it all. She was the strong one, not him.

He was tired of fighting. He was tired of living. Life had become an unwanted burden. What he was getting out of it simply wasn't worth the price he was paying for it, and he wanted to cancel his subscription. It kept promising great things, only to deliver more pain and sorrow. It kept piling up higher and higher until it was more than he could bear. Then it came back and delivered more.

 _I suppose everyone would seem strong to a crybaby, but I am truly strong._

Her lecturing voice came to him once more, and it was as if they were on the train all over again. She had been just as terrified as him, he knew that now, but he was the one who wouldn't stop crying. She truly was the strong one, there was no doubt about that, but then why was he the one that survived?

The Capitol anthem blared out across the arena, and Joel had just enough strength to squirm around and stick his head out into the cold night air. Up above him, he watched the faces of all the friends he failed float across the sky.

Poor, misguided Helen, and the Edward, the fierce dragon. Pure-hearted May, then Jason, who had finally decided to trust all of them. Sweet Hannah, clutching her stuffed alligator. Austin and his menacing golden eyes and his mischievous grin. Then June herself, smiling sweetly down at him. Anna, who made him promise to be her friend forever. Then fierce, but kind-hearted Zephyr, and Arnold, the plan's mastermind. Then giddy Rocco, grinning ear to ear and the shy, timid Jade, whom he owed his life to. Jade, whom he had done nothing for as she was killed in front of him.

The anthem rang out again as the last face vanished, leaving him all alone once more, his only companions the darkness, the cold, and the relentless rain.

It wasn't just June he let down, he let all of them down. He did nothing as they fought for him. He merely sat there at the base of his pedestal as all of his friends gave their lives for him. And how had he repaid them? He ran away like the coward he was. After promising not to hurt any of them, he killed June, and he ran. He let all of them die.

The image of Jade's arm falling free would not leave him. It replayed in his head over and over in slow motion, like a record caught in an endless loop. Her eyes, one green and one red, both wide with terror. Her fingers stretching out for him, begging for him to come help, to save her. Then it was floating free, severed just below her shoulder, tumbling down to the pavement below.

The careers weren't paying attention to him then. If he hadn't frozen up, if he had rushed in, could he have saved her? Did it even matter anymore?

The weight of all of his friends fell on his shoulders, and he felt that it was physically crushing him. He wished that it would, then the waking nightmare would be over. He wished that his concrete alcove would collapse, trapping him under two tons of concrete and steel. But it didn't. His subscription to life renewed once more, and time marched on.

A puddle of icy water was beginning to form at the base of his alcove, but he could hardly feel it. He was already numb.

 _It is not too late to fight. It is never too late to fight._

The guilt tore at him, and he squirmed in his warren, unable to find a comfortable position, but that was preferable. He didn't deserve to be comfortable. He deserved to be cold, miserable, and alone. He had done this to himself. There was nobody to blame but him.

He deserved himself.

He squirmed again, arching his back, bracing against the smooth concrete. His hand made a scraping sound as it ran against the walls, and something popped free from his hand. It clattered lightly off of several solid surfaces before entering the water below with a soft splooshing sound.

It took a moment for the reality to catch up to him. When it did, it jolted him awake, as if someone zapped his chest with a defibrillator. A tendril of pure fear crept up through his chest as he felt his hand, realizing in horror that the rose ring had slipped off.

He looked down, but the alcove was the darkest of blacks. Even with his eyes open wide, he couldn't see a thing. He closed his eyes, diverting his senses to touch, then got to his knees. His sadness and apathy gave way to fear as he frantically swept the flooded floor for the ring. The water was ice cold, and the temperature shock woke him from his hazy slumber.

It all came back to him in a rush, like water bursting over the top of a dam. He remembered his promise to June; the promise he said he wouldn't break, no matter the cost. The promise he wasn't done with yet. He couldn't give up now. Not yet- he still had a promise to fulfill.

At last, he found it. His hand closed around the ring, and he pulled it from the water, securing it once more on his finger. Relief flooded through him, and he ran his finger across the crest, feeling the individual petals of the small rose. As long as he had this ring, he could feel June with him. He could feel all of them with him. This burden was too much for one person to bear, but he didn't have to bear it alone. They were all with him, all of his friends.

The alcove was cramped, cold, and darker than anything he had ever experienced. Though he was freezing in this cold, dark pit, when he looked up, he could see the dim rays of the moon shining through the cracks. He pushed the blocks barricading the opening aside, revealing a pair of golden eyes shining in the dark. Austin extended a hand to Joel, and he took it. Austin pulled him out of the cramped space and out into the open air.

Joel closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, then released it. When he opened his eyes, they were all there. In the dark, cold rain, his friends surrounded him. They patted his back, nodded at him, pushed him forward. One by one, they stepped up and took a piece of Joel's burden; the burden that he could not bear on his own. Helen, Edward, May, Jason, Hannah, Austin, Zephyr, Arnold, Anna, Jade, and Rocco. They weren't angry. They didn't blame him. They were proud of him. They supported him. One by one, they pulled a piece of the weight from Joel's back and took it upon their own.

If he could not find a reason to live for himself, he would live for them. He would live for _her._

And there she was. Beautiful June, her deep sapphire eyes, brighter than the brilliant blue sky, her flowing red dress, her silky blond hair spilling out of the back of her neatly tied bonnet. She stepped forward and took his hand in hers. In her presence, the darkness and the cold faded away. There was nothing in the world that could hurt him while she was here with him. The foil ring on her hand rubbed against the rose ring on his, and together, they walked on into the night.


	36. Chapter 31 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

"Do you think we did the right thing?", Drake asked worriedly. "Leaving them all behind like that?"

"It was a fool's errand from the beginning", Caleb replied dismissively. "Don't blame yourself for the decisions of others."

From the moment he saw him, Caleb's air of effortless self-possession made Drake urgently want to be his friend, or maybe even to _be_ him. He was one of those people who felt at home anywhere in the world, no matter where he went. He just had this way of easily floating along, while Drake felt that he constantly had to struggle just to stay keep his head above the water.

 **Drake and Caleb talk about their reapings and their respective background and families. They are in the cubicle maze of a high-rise office building.  
**

"Do I regret what? Being reaped?", Caleb asked incredulously, as if Drake had asked him if he had tentacles. "What a lark! To be truly honest, this could quite possibly be the most interesting thing that has ever happened to me." His face fell, his gaze moving to the window as he stared out longingly. "I think I was about to drink myself to death back home."

Caleb sighed. "The Capitol was like heaven! The wine, the food, their grand styles, the splendid ceremonies, all of it! Oh how I love being a tribute; I feel almost like royalty! I'll tell you something else", he continued. "I don't regret coming here, even now that everything's gone to shit. Even then, I'm glad that all of this happened." He considered this for a moment. "That could possibly be the stupidest thing I've ever said, but it's the truth."

It looked like he was done, but then the urge to speak hit him again. "Don't get me wrong- this whole fighting to the death business is not my cup of tea at all. When I was reaped, I most definitely did not agree with it. It just isn't very elegant. I understand the appeal of honor and chivalry, but all that macho man, sweaty stuff is just a bit too brutish. Maybe that's what I liked about their little club."

 **Caleb goes on about their predicament, and there are parallels between his outlook and June's; both have their own way of remaining themselves or otherwise not playing the games. While Caleb goes off on this whole speech, Drake tries to pin down what it is exactly about this guy that is so appealing. He keeps expecting Caleb to claim to be too cool for this whole Hunger Games thing or just make snarky jokes about it, but Caleb is surprisingly down-to-earth about all of it. While Drake is starting to feel shaky and worried as the games go on, Caleb is as relaxed and unworried as he's ever been, focused objectively on the situation at hand, as if this was just another of his many jobs. Even in this situation, Caleb remains calm and sure of himself.  
**

Drake paused, making sure that Caleb was finished with his rant. "And exactly how long were you up last night perfecting that speech?"


	37. Chapter 32 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **It rains all night, heavy thunderstorms and frigid rain. The careers didn't think far enough ahead to set up any of the tent packs and they are all afraid to step out into the storm, so they camp out inside the cornucopia. In the morning, the careers all set out to hunt down the other tributes. This is our first real taste of the career tributes all together. After the previous day's fight, Silica is worried that her skills pale in comparison to the others. She resolves to make at least one ally within the careers and turn on the others eventually. She hasn't had much practice with socializing, especially with "normal people", and it turns out that she is awkward and terrible at it. Through Silica's efforts at conversation, we start to get an idea of what the other are like.  
**

Silica indicated at Bekka's bracelet. "That is an interesting bracelet", Silica noted. "Where did you get it?"

"Your mom gave it to me", she replied blandly. "After I fucked her."

"Okay, but why-"

"Because she enjoyed it so much", she snapped. "Stop asking stupid questions."

 **Ian mentions that several tributes took the bait the night before. He points to the buildings the two fled into. As they track Asper and Ignatio, they come across footprints in the mud. Ian says they are Joel's, though he won't say how he knows. They have to choose between the two, but it's not a hard decision for Coralie. Joel was part of the group that cost her an eye. He is high priority. As the careers work together, their respective places and skills fall into place.** ** **Coralie is their confident leader.** Wolf is a brilliant tactician. Ian is the best tracker, and apparently a great field medic. Bekka and Ajax are the most skilled fighters. Silica, however, doesn't really seem to be the best at anything.**

It seemed like everyone had something to contribute to the group. Everyone but her, and she feared that it was only a matter of time before they noticed.

 **They follow Joel's tracks into the building. Ian knows he is in there, even though a solid wall divides them. Wolf devises a scheme to coordinate their attack, cutting off all possible escapes. When Wolf and Ian break down the door, they find themselves in a small office, but Joel isn't there. Outside, neither Bekka nor Coralie saw him leave through the window. They tear the room apart, but Joel is not there. There is no way he could have gotten out, and everybody is frustrated. Ian claims that Joel is inside the walls, but this claim is too much for Bekka, who starts pointing out all the flaws in Ian's tracking style: How could he have known he was in that room without looking? How could he have known it was Joel by just a footprint? And now Joel was in the bloody walls? How convenient. They are all frustrated. To top it all off, it starts raining again.  
**


	38. Chapter 33 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Ignatio has stalked Asper, and is now on a stakeout. Over the past couple of days, Asper has made several runs to the career camp and back. There were a few close calls, and it's a miracle she hasn't been caught yet. Asper has found some kind of way to use the building's ventilation ducts to redirect the smoke from her fire, cloaking her true location. Ignatio knows that she is in the games, but has cognitive dissonance about attacking this girl, especially when she could be so useful. When Asper goes out for another supply run, Ignatio boldly walks up to the fire and warms herself. She knows Asper will be back sooner rather than later, especially with the careers on the prowl, so every few minutes or so, Ignatio blurts out "I know you're out there", knowing that even if she isn't right now, eventually, Asper will be. The first few times, there is no response. The fifth time, Ignatio doesn't expect a response, but Asper steps out. Ignatio is surprised that her stupid plan worked.  
**

"What are you doing? Playing chicken with them?" She was genuinely curious.

"Something like that" Asper held her ground. If she was afraid, she was doing a good job of hiding it.

"Yeah?", Ignatio raised an eyebrow. "And how would you say that's going for you?"

"Well, like, I'm still alive", she patted down her body. "so I'd say pretty good, I guess."

Ignatio was amused. "You sure are being calm about all of this."

"Well, like, you've been following me for a while, right?" Ignatio didn't respond, and Asper took that as an agreement. "Maybe I'm tempting fate here, but, I figured, like, you could have killed me by now if you wanted to, so I'm thinking maybe you, like, I don't know- maybe you don't really want to or something?"

"Fair enough." Though Asper meant it as a question, Ignatio chose not to address the statement's accuracy.

"So, like, what are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She tossed her nearly full pack across the room toward Asper. It slid across the floor, coming to a stop at her feet. "I'm saving your life."

Asper looked down at the pack, then back up at Ignatio. "So, like, why would you do that?"

"Well I was just thinking that it sure would be easy to scrounge supplies if the careers were out of the picture, don't you think?"


	39. Chapter 34 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Back in the mentor room. Brutus mentions that a lot of interesting things have happened, so the gamemakers will probably keep it quiet. They like extending the games as long as possible, and some people have to sleep, so they're likely not going to do anything until tomorrow. Brutus excuses himself and so do the other mentors. Konstance stands to go with them, but Brutus says that someone has to stay here and keep an eye on the tributes "just in case". The others snicker, and Konstance accepts this as a new mentor hazing ritual. He hasn't had much time alone anyway, so it's not all that bad.**

 **There are only a few screens active, and he gauges each one. There is not much going on anywhere. The ones that got away are settling in, going through whatever they managed to get away with, but the reader knows this. The careers are going through the cornucopia stuff. The main screen show each tribute, but there isn't a map and there is no indication of how close they all are relative to each other. Around the room, several desks are already dark and vacant.**

 **Konstance starts nodding off. He looks up at the clock. It has been nearly twenty hours since the start of the games. He didn't realize how long it he had been staring at these screens. Brutus shows back up and he is a little disappointed to not find Konstance asleep at the wheel. For once, he shows a bit of sympathy and lets Konstance take a break.**

 **Konstance follows the signs pointing to the mentor break room. There are rows of bunk beds like the Brisbane hostel, and several mentors are snoring loudly. A small TV is playing the main coverage at low volume. Nothing exciting is happening. Konstance is tired, but his brain is still trying to process the past day and a half. The weirdest thing is that this time around, his own fate doesn't depend on who wins. Whoever wins, he will still be alive and mentor for next year.**

 **Flashbacks as he drifts off to sleep. He can hear the games over the monitor and it blends with his dreams. We find that the PTSD has somewhat abated, though not entirely. He dreams that he is back in the arena, but it is somehow a classroom. His students are the tributes from both his games and this year's games. Silica is there, but so is Chayonna. The angels and demons from the painting are also there. Giant lizards show up and they devour his mother.**

 **He wakes with a start. It is daylight outside and he is alone in the bunks. What time is it? How long was he asleep? He puts on his glasses, grabs an enhanced coffee, then hurries down to the mentor control room.**

Konstance downed the enhanced coffee in one gulp. He could feel the burn creeping down his throat, and the warmth spread out through his entire body. He threw himself into his chair and spun to face his monitor. "What did I miss?"

"Well someone got a good night's sleep", Brutus broke off his conversation with Marlin. "Not much, really. They've been chasing this kid from eight for a while now, but he keeps getting away, the bastard. District three and eight teamed up. Try to figure that one out. District ten and eleven are camped out somewhere, but they don't look so hot."

"There's really not much going on righ-" Brutus sat up as something caught his eye. "Oh, now this looks interesting."


	40. Chapter 35 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Drake is suffering from dysentery. He has constant stomach cramps and frequent diarrhea. He constantly asks for water, which they managed to siphon from the pouring rain, but it never seems to be enough. Neither of them realize that it is the water itself that is making him sick. Occasionally, Drake vomits up the precious water.**

Caleb held the wastebasket as Drake entered another round of vomiting. He rubbed his back and talked over Drake's retching. "I have four older brothers. They are all magnificent physical specimens, thick, muscular jocks who all feel sorry for poor old me."

Drake tried to respond, but all that came up was liquid, and he buried his head in the wastebasket again. Caleb continued, ignoring the fact that his friend was emptying the entire contents of his stomach into the bin. "My dad can't figure it out. He thinks he didn't eat enough meat when I was conceived or something, and that's why I came out all wrong." He rubbed Drake's back as he spat out the stomach acid remaining in his mouth. "You probably feel sorry for me", he went on airily. "But you shouldn't. I'm actually quite happy the way things turned out. I wouldn't change a thing. Some people need their families to become who they're supposed to be, which is fine of course, but there are other ways of doing it."

Drake fell backward, apparently done with this round of vomiting. Caleb casually dragged the wastebasket to the far end of the room, adding it to the growing collection of wastebaskets filled with various bodily liquids. When he returned, Drake was laying on his back, breathing hard as he stared at the ceiling.

"Wow, you really look like shit, you know that?"

Drake choked back a laugh. This really wasn't the time to be laughing, but he couldn't help it.

Caleb sat down next to him. "If they succeed in killing you, I'll make sure to you leave you right there, sprawled out just like that, and have a painting done." He made a frame with his index fingers and thumbs. "Like a Picasso or a Rembrandt. I'll put it over my fireplace so it'll be the first thing all my visitors see. Won't that be wonderful?"

 **They are distracted by a beeping sound. A mentor gift lands next to them. The gift is a pack of water purification tablets, but Caleb has no idea what they are. He thinks they are medication for the sickness. He gives one to Drake and eats one himself just to be safe, then stores the rest for later.**

Caleb: "Let's not be sad; life's too short for that."  
Drake groaning: "Being sick and tired is almost as unbearable as being hungry."  
Caleb: "Well then here, why don't you have the last of it?" He offers Drake the last of their food.  
Drake: "Really?" Sits up at the idea.  
Caleb, pulling it out of his reach: "Oh would you look at that? You have only just decided to give up, when all of a sudden, your vanished strength comes surging back at the promise of food. Tsk tsk." He smiles.  
Drake: "We should split it." He breaks apart the last of the stale bread and hands it to Caleb. "You're right. There is no reason to be sad. It's almost beautiful here. The soft pattering of rain on the roof, the gentle light of twilight, the-"  
Caleb: "The harsh cold that brings us together?"  
They are both thinking the same thing.  
Caleb: "I agree. It is indescribably beautiful." He is looking at Drake, and it is obvious that he is referring to him now, and not necessarily their situation.  
C: "I'm going to tell you something deep and dark and personal. Ready?" He hesitates for a moment, and it is the first time Drake has seen his upright demeanor waver, a chink in his armor exposed. "Oh, what the hell?"

He leans in and kisses Drake.


	41. Chapter 36 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **We're back in the mentor room. About this time, the filler segment running on the main coverage cuts to Caleb and Drake, who are suffering from lead poisoning and amoebic dysentery respectively. Caesar explains this to the audience as cute cartoon graphics play, showing the small intestines and little spartan-like amoeba cartoons attacking it. At the same time, the two get their mentor gift of water purification tablets. As Caleb feeds it to Drake, Caesar tsk tsks, saying that this will have no effect and that they should have paid more attention at the survival station. Konstance checks his own screen, thankful that Wolf had been smart enough to suggest that they boil their water before drinking it.**

 **Caesar exclaims "Oh my!", and Konstance looks up to see what he was referring to. Caleb and Drake are kissing. There is shocked silence, something that you never see in Caesar, but he quickly catches himself and goes into a whole thing about how lead poisoning can cause delirium, hallucinations, and cognitive problems, then goes into how these poor kids must be very delusional with all that lead ingestion. Coverage quickly segues to an earlier recording of Wolf boiling their water to try and distract everyone from Caleb and Drake.**

 **Despite Caesar's insistence, Konstance looks over at the District 11 and 10 tables, where the mentors have put a cloth over their monitors to give the two privacy. Konstance has the suspicion that the two have moved beyond just kissing. After a quick search, he sees nothing on the gift list to address lead poisoning, reinforcing his suspicion.**

 **Konstance mentions to Mags about how he never realized all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes during the games; all the stuff that must not get televised. When you throw teenagers of both genders into an unsupervised arena and a desperate situation, sex is an almost inevitable result. He thinks of himself and Chayonna. He hasn't thought of her in a long time aside from the dream last night, but it makes him happy now instead of sad. Weird how that works.**

Mags: "The arena does a funny thing to people. It can bring out the best or the worst in them. You never really know what kind of monster is lurking deep down until it is forced out. The arena is a unique place. Only the people who have been there", she motioned around the room, "can ever understand."

Mags: "You aren't alone anymore. If you ever need someone to talk to, we are here for you. _I_ am here for you. Don't ever forget that. You are not alone."


	42. Chapter 37 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Hours later. Konstance is alone and bored again. There aren't that many monitors on, and the ones that are only have one person manning them. It's kind of boring with nothing going on. You never notice it when you're watching the games, because they find all sorts of filler stuff, but on his screen and everyone else's, nothing is happening.**

 **The main screen occasionally shows stuff in the arena, but it's mostly filler, commentary, recaps, and statistics. Nothing has happened in the arena for a while. The careers chase Joel, but they can't get him, occasionally fending off coyote mutts. Caleb and Drake deal with rat mutts that keep trying to steal their supplies. At one point, Asper and Ignatio were attacked by some kind of mechanical mutt (the first Konstance has seen something like that) Ignatio smashed it, but took some serious lacerations, and it is starting to become infected. Asper is going through the pieces of the mech mutt, saving some and putting others aside.**

 **While the careers are looking for Joel, Konstance gets the idea to look through the gift list to see what he can buy for them with the tremendous amount of donations they have, but haven't touched yet. He is surprised to find the list has changed dramatically. In the medical section, there is also stuff he has never heard of before (what the hell is "Iodoquinol"), but funds so high that he knows nobody can afford it. Fresh water and water purification tablets have disappeared entirely. About this time, Brutus shows up. Konstance brings this up with Brutus, and he nods.**

"It's about time!", Brutus grunted.

"Time for what?", Konstance asked.

Brutus simply nodded to the main screen, where the filler program cut to Caesar and Claudius, both of whom looked absolutely thrilled. "Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt this program to make a very special and important announcement!"

Brutus grinned. "Put your game face on, rookie! It's time to earn your stripes."


	43. Chapter 38 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**Part 5: The Feast**

* * *

 **SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **The Feast takes place at the top of the very tallest building in the very center of the arena. Empire State Building Observation Deck. Everyone needs something. Caleb / Drake need medicine. Asper / Ignatio need antiseptic for Ignatio's wounds. Joel needs water. The careers need a way to catch Joel.**

 **We follow Caleb / Drake as the announcement is made in the arena. Caleb knows that he will die if he goes, but Drake will die if he doesn't. It's not a decision he wants to make, but he's making a decision either way. Choosing not to decide is deciding. He tells Drake he's going and that's final.**

Drake: "Caleb-"  
Caleb: "Don't _Caleb_ me. I'm sick, I'm not dead! This is what I'm doing. This is what I have to do."  
Drake: "Yeah, and what's your plan?"  
Caleb: "I don't know. Maybe I'll stumble onto something. Trial and error."

 **Caleb tries to leave, but Drake stops him.**

Drake: "There's no trial and error! You get one shot, that's it! You know what makes people angry?" He somehow found the strength to sit up. "When someone's trying to tell you something and you're not hearing them. They feel like they have to get louder and Louder and LOUDER, and then you're still not listening!"

 **Drake refuses to let Caleb go alone. As sick as he is, he won't let Caleb face this on his own. Caleb accepts this, and Drake and Caleb both go together. Caleb calmly goes and studies the wastebasket collection. He selects two of them and hands one to Drake. They head to the rooftop. They don't have a plan.**

Drake: "So, do you have a plan, or..."  
Caleb: "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to go up there and put the fear of Snow into those guys."  
Drake: "You're just going to go in there? Like that? You can't be serious!"  
Caleb: "We're already in the shit, Drake! You want out? Then get out now, alright?"  
Drake: "You're crazy! I'm not about to go over there with just my dick in my hand!"  
Caleb: "Oh, I'm sorry- did you want to put it in my hand instead? What do you want from me?"

 **Their arguing is far from subtle, and the careers are just staring at them. The two of them stumble on over, both kind of delirious from their respective sicknesses. Caleb goes on about how he has these pills that make him invincible as he pops the last purification tablet in his mouth, and promptly vomits. In an attempt to keep the careers at bay, Caleb takes the wastebasket full of Drake's liquid waste and dumps it over his own head.** **Careers like WTF is this?  
**

Caleb: "Oh, was that a good idea?"  
Drake: "Probably?"

 **The others back up in disgust, but Ajax promptly walks up and stabs Drake. Caleb looks over and says "Rude.", then Ajax stabs him as well.**

Caleb, pointing to the sword Ajax stabbed him with: "So, are you going to want this back or can I keep it?"

 **Two cannons go off as Caleb and Drake are killed. However, while they are distracted, Joel has snuck up and taken his pack. Careers turn around just in time to see a pair of sneakers disappear into a ventilation duct. Well, shit. But where are the other tributes?**

 **Suddenly, they hear a high pitch squealing sound as one of the giant cranes on one of the nearby under construction buildings begins rotating toward them. The careers stare at it as it settles above them and the giant pincers open. It sits there for a second, then it suddenly drops straight down, and the careers all dive out of the way as the massive claw smashes into the top of the building, sending rubble and debris flying and creating a dust cloud. The claw closes around the table containing the feast stuff, grabbing all but the D1 bag. Then the screeching starts up again as the crane drags the giant claw across the top of the building, then over the edge, taking almost all the supplies with it. Across the street, the goods are dumped onto the roof of a building under construction, and it is then that the careers spot the crane that grabbed their stuff. Asper is at the wheel.**


	44. Chapter 39 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Asper the computer techie has hacked into the crane operating system. She grabs the feast goods with the crane, then retracts the crane claw, then dumps the spoils on the top of the building across the street. Across the way, the careers are yelling obscenities as she hops down and collects all the bags of goods, and the chase is on. She weaves through the halls of the building, lugging the supplies, glad that she had a plan beforehand. She dumps the bags down a garbage chute; part of the plan. She hurries down the hall to the staircase, but the careers are already there. Wow, that was fast. She turns to head back down the hallway, but she is cornered. It looks like this is the end.**


	45. Chapter 40 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **The careers race down the stairs and into the next building. Red flag for Wolf, and he orders everyone to stop and think. This is no time to panic. It turns out the building is booby trapped. They take the fire escape instead.**

 **Asper is cornered, and it looks like the end. About this time, a knife comes whistling by Wolf's ear, and he only manages to dodge by instinct. At the end of the hall, Ignatio is yelling taunts at them, throwing another knife that the careers have to dodge. Ignatio jumps into the fray. The hallway keeps them from flanking her, but she can't save Asper. With Asper gone, Ignatio runs, and the careers give chase.**

 **They manage to corner her at the top of the building. The storm has started up again, and lightning is striking randomly. Ignatio turns to face the careers for an epic rooftop showdown.**


	46. Chapter 41 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

In an undignified panic, she feinted for the stairs, dodged past Wolf in close quarters, arching her body like a bullfighter, and steamed past them.

 **Ignatio is chased up the building, the careers corralling her higher and higher until she has reached the very top of the building. In some part of her mind, she knew that she was going to die here, but she wanted to have a bit of fun with them. At the same time, she realizes that she never really expected to win the games, and this situation isn't really a surprise. She laughs at this. With nowhere else to run, she turns to face the careers.**

It was like the endgame of a disastrously bloody chess match, the enemy pieces chasing a beleaguered king around an empty board, sadistically refusing to checkmate him.

 **It was a good run, she had to admit. The choice to side with Asper was a good one, and she has no regrets. Or if she did, it would be that she didn't forge the alliance sooner. Part of her reasoning with allying with Asper is that she believed that Asper deserved to win, and she thought if she wasn't going to, at least she could help someone else get there. Even in the games, she never really feared death. Even now, cornered like prey, she doesn't fear death, and it is a curious thing. Instead, she finds it kind of funny. She couldn't save Asper, and she had tried, so what could she do? Fuck them. Fuck the careers and their stupid game. Instead of letting the careers kill her, she closes her eyes and falls off backward. Peppermint leaves.**


	47. Chapter 42 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Coralie and Bekka are pissed that after all that work, they didn't get the kill. They look down and see Joel raiding the camp. Shit. Careers go back to hunting down Joel, but he always manages to give them the slip.**

 **They track down the remnants of a fire, and it is clear that he was *just* here, but they can't find him. Ian is an excellent tracker, but Joel just seems to be better at escaping. Ian can't see him, but he can hear him. He raps the walls, tells everyone that he is somehow inside the walls. They are getting irritated, ready for this thing to just be over when to all of their surprise, a cannon goes off.**

 **Huh. Well, okay, I guess. That's it then. I guess we won.**


	48. Chapter 43 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**Part 6: Endgame**

* * *

 **SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Konstance can see everything. Joel is using the ventilation ducts to flee. Because he's so small and tiny, he can squeeze into them, but the careers overlook it because the openings are so small. The same scene plays over and over. Careers track down Joel, he shimmies into a ventilation duct, then the careers tear the room apart looking for him. It was an exciting game of cat and mouse a few days ago, but it's starting to get so old and boring that even Caesar can't make it interesting anymore. At about that time, one of the ventilation ducts Joel is crawling through suddenly gives way, and he plummets to his death. And just like that, it's over.  
**

 **The careers celebrate winning, but it's not over. They miscounted. Benjamin is still out there somewhere, but the careers have it in their heads that they are the last ones left.**

 **Brutus is yelling at the screen, calling them idiots, to no effect. On the screen, the careers set up for a final duel. Brutus is pulling out his hair. Over at the District 3 table, the olive-skinned mentors are laughing and raising their coffee mugs in the career mentors' general direction. This infuriates Brutus, but there is nothing he can do.**

 **Konstance frantically thinking of ways to alert them that there is one more tribute out there, his sight lands on the monitor for purchasing gifts and studies them. Nothing really out of the ordinary; only what you'd expect. He scrolls through the list of gifts, but there is nothing that would make them stop at this point. On screen, the careers have returned to the cornucopia and are heading to their original pedestals. They are going to end it in one final bloodbath.**

 **Brutus is losing his mind, yelling at the screen. Over at the D3 table, mentor is sitting back, enjoying the show. Smugly smiling over at Brutus, as if saying "there's not a thing you can do about it."**

Konstance to Brutus: "What are the restrictions to sending gifts?"

 **For once, Brutus trusts / respects Konstance's input, which surprises him. Brutus drags him to gamemakers wihout an explanation, and under super pressure and no prep, Konstance must sell modified gift idea to gamemakers without giving away that he is trying to communicate with them.**

Gamemaker: Funny thing, District 3 was just in here asking for a unique gift. What a coincidence."  
Brutus: "I knew they were up to something."

Gamemakers: "Why send a gift now?"  
Konstance: "They're about to fight to the death."  
Gamemaker: "Why send only one?"  
Konstance: "There can only be one victor."

 **The gamemakers think something is up, but before they can come to any conclusion, Brutus butts in and backs up Konstance for once**

Brutus: "Hey we haven't used any of our donor money yet, and now that we need it you're going to refuse us?"

 **They send the modified gift and hope that it is in time, and that they will get the message.**


	49. Chapter 44 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

 **Silica is shocked- she had underestimated how little time she had to make a plan and now all her time was gone. Still playing the part of fearless killer, she frantically brainstorms for ideas. She was planning on stabbing them all in the back, but it was never the right time, and now it's too late. They make their way back to the pedestals and Ajax explains dueling rules, making sure everyone understands. Silica nods, gripping the weapons she hardly knows how to use. If only there were war fans, but she never found any. Before they can start, a silver parachute lands in the center.**

 **WTF? Curiosity gets the better of them, and they step off their pedestals. It is water purifying tablets. They don't need any supplies, so it's strange. Are they just wasting donation money? Closer look: someone has ripped all the tablets out of the package except for one. Verbal debate between "This is garbage!" / "There must be a point to this."**

 **It is Wolf that figures it out. There is one left. It takes a while for it to click that there is "one more left". "There is one more left!", but nobody can remember who. They go through the list of tributes by district and gender, marking them in the sand. Some are easy, some are harder to remember, but eventually, they mark out all but the district 3 male.**

 **There is some disapproval, but Wolf pulls out the bags they got from the feast. There are two #3 bags at the feast, and nobody remembers killing or even seeing a night sky picture of "the guy with glasses". At that moment, they hear a collapsing sound not too far away. They realize the truth as another thunderstorm rolls in.**


	50. Chapter 45 SUMMARY FILLER CHAPTER

**SPOILER ALERT: I haven't finished writing this chapter, but this is a quick summary of what takes place:**

Benjamin checked the marks again, counting sixteen scratches on the concrete wall. Twenty-four minus sixteen was eight. There was no doubt about it. Assuming all six career tributes were still alive- and there was no reason not to- that meant there were only two of them left. He could only hope the careers were chasing after the other guy.

The real problem was time. There simply wasn't enough of it. He had already wasted too much time searching the surrounding buildings for supplies, but most of these expeditions ended in failure. The most promising thing he managed to find was a thick six-foot square plastic sheet.

 **Then the mentor gift comes in and it changes everything.**

These weren't just any shears; they were heavy-duty cable cutters. It wasn't the ideal tool for the job, but it would have to do. To be fair, even with the proper tools, he wasn't sure he would be able to pull it off. There was still so many things that could go wrong, any one of which would mean his death.

The weird thing was that he wasn't afraid. Usually in moments of crisis, he was lost in a swarm of choices, paralyzed by the possibility that he might do the wrong thing- there were so many wrong things to do and so few right ones- but not this time. This time, the path was clear to him. There was only one right option, and it could be fatal, but death would be preferable to spending what could very well be the last moments of his life doing either the wrong thing or nothing at all.

It was mid-day when the cannon went off. Even with the shears, Benjamin was nowhere near ready, but there was no room for fear in his head. Either he would die or he wouldn't.

There was an explosion behind him, and a blast of dust and bits of rubble pushed him a few steps forward. Benjamin cleaned his glasses on his uniform and looked behind him. The concrete shelter he spent the last few days in collapsed with all his supplies inside. Further down the street, another building collapsed, falling across the road in a large, curling plume of dust. Thunder boomed across the arena, and it started raining, tempering the lingering clouds of debris. When the dust settled, Benjamin saw that the piles of rubble surrounded him on all sides except for one.

 _They are making sure I have nowhere to escape and nowhere to hide._

Moving quickly, but carefully, he positioned the plastic sheet into place. He was only going to get one shot at this, and he knew he had to make it count. He heard shouts echoing off the structures and looked up. In the distance, he could see heads bobbing up and down on the horizon.

They were already here.

He could see the page from his electromagnetism book in front of him in his mind; the columns, the numbers, the diagrams. He knew the whole thing by heart. In his mind, he was putting things together, doing hasty mental estimations, then discarding the answers when the numbers weren't reassuring. All through the process, he kept expecting himself to panic, but the panic never came, and now he knew it wouldn't. He'd come so far to be here. He was finally getting a chance to prove himself, and he wasn't going to miss it.

They were close enough now that he could discern their shouts. It was time. He wrapped the plastic sheet around the cable, roped the shears to his belt, and began to climb. For a horrified second, he looked back, wondering if he forgot something or made some kind of mathematical error, but there was not time for that kind of thinking. If he did, it was too late to fix it.

 **When the careers catch up to him, Benjamin has scurried up a thin wooden telephone pole. They surround the bottom the pole like dogs chasing a squirrel up a tree. Lightning strikes nearby, and it is clear that by climbing the pole, he is only escaping one death for another. Even the gamemakers are playing with him. The careers are in no hurry. Ajax has a fatalistic viewpoint, and tells Ben that there is a certain fate and that there is nothing anyone can do to change it. He might as well accept it.**

Benjamin knew that he should be afraid, but he wasn't. A great warm calm was in him, welling up out of the hidden reservoir where it had been waiting all this time, if only he'd known where to find it. It was time to go all in. It was going to end here one way or the other. He was going to win this thing or die trying.

He had no idea if it would work or not, but it was all he had left.

The careers jockeyed below him, taunting him. They tossed weapons up at him, some ricocheting off the wooden pole, some finding their mark in his extremities. All the time, he watched and he waited.

He nearly missed his chance.

They all rushed the pole at once, hoping to knock it over. They sprinted through the ankle deep water, throwing their bodies up against the wooden pole. As they did, Benjamin applied force to the shears, severing the cable, allowing it to drop to the ground below.

It was an incredible sight.

The ground below him exploded in a flash of light and a blinding shower of pyrotechnics. The blast shook the pole, and Benjamin lost his footing. His shoes slipped on the wet footholds, and he toppled over. He was thankful that he thought far enough ahead to tie himself in. The safety rope caught, and he found himself dangling upside down several feet above the ground. His glasses fell from his face, shattering on the concrete below.

On the ground, the cable crackled and popped as it thrashed about just below him. Even without his glasses, he could see it whipping around violently as it releasing the stored energy of three days worth of lightning strikes. It was over in seconds. With its energy expended, the thrashing cable finally began to settle down. It sputtered once more, shooting out a final defiant blast of sparks, before falling as still as the bodies of the career tributes around it.

Benjamin dangled helplessly, supported only by the thin wire tied around his waist. The world fell silent. The only sound was the soft pattering of rain, soon broke by the thundering boom of a cannon blast. Then another. And another. Six cannon shots fired in all. Then the most welcoming sound of all, the trumpets that signaled a victor.


	51. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The coverage on the main screen flashed white, then went to static. A few seconds later, the image resolved, this shot from a camera mounted much farther away. There was a soft whirring sound as the camera zoomed in to Benjamin's face. With his eyes closed, the rain softly rolling down his cheeks looked very much like he was crying, and maybe he was.

The games coverage paused, and Caesar turned to Benjamin. "Can you tell me what you were thinking in that exact moment?"

"I was... shocked." The audience laughed, and it took Benjamin a moment to recognize the unintended pun. When he did, he softly chuckled at it.

Caesar continued, "I think I speak for everyone when I say that

Can you describe what happened?"

Benjamin smiled.

When lightning started striking the structures during the first night, Benjamin knew what he wanted to do. The main screen showed a montage of his expeditions into the various buildings, inspecting rubble, and rapping on walls, trying to determine their contents. On the second day, he found what he was looking for. With a little bit of tinkering and careful arrangement, he managed to convert the steel rebar already encased in a concrete insulator into a passive two-terminal electrical component perfectly disguised as another piece of rubble. In short, a capacitor.

With the help of aptly named "lightning rods" already a part of many of the buildings, Benjamin found a way to use the very lightning strikes meant to kill him to his advantage. Where most tributes were cowering in fear of the electrical storms, Benjamin's entire plan hinged on them. The arena provided everything he needed. Well, almost everything. With the power stored, the only problem left was how to access it.

The thick power cables suspended above the streets on wooden poles would be perfect, but they were difficult to get to and even if he could, they were fastened tightly to their housings. Knocking any of the poles over might have worked, but it would have caused unwanted attention.

It was the unique gift he received on the final day that made all the difference. On the main screen, a clip played showing a silver parachute dropping neatly outside his hideout. You could see the curiosity, then understanding, and finally ecstasy spread across his face as he recognized what he was holding.

 **Caesar segues from the games victory to the fact that he is an orphan.**

"It's funny", his voice took a more serious tone. "Before the games, nobody ever wanted to adopt me. Whenever visitors came, it was always someone else they wanted..." The crowd all sighed pitifully, and Benjamin continued, "...but now it seems like everyone wants to adopt me. Even some here in the Capitol... and I don't even know if that's legal..."

Caesar ignored the second part of the sentence, instead focusing on the first part. "With all these people volunteering to adopt you, have you decided one to go with yet?"

"I have, actually." Benjamin smiled. There was a collective gasp from the audience as each of them thought he might be referring to them. "Actually, they were going to adopt me before the games, but..." He frowned, unsure of how to finish the sentence.

Caesar picked up where he trailed off, "... but now they will be adopting not only a brilliant son, but also a victor!"

Actually, the papers went through while I was in the arena. I just found out yesterday."

On the main screen, the two people who came to visit him before the reaping appeared. They stood in front of his orphanage in District 3, almost exactly where they were when Benjamin was first introduced to them. A voice off screen told them that they were live, and they both smiled and waved.

"So should we start calling you Benjamin Latier now?"

"I've been thinking about that, actually. I never knew my father, but 'Tekk' was my mother's name. She died during the flu epidemic a few years ago, but she was very kind to me. I don't really want to lose her name, but..."

"You don't plan on taking their name? After all the kindness they've showed you?"

"Well apparently I'm required by law or the contract is void, but I think I have a solution." A grin spread across his face. "I'm changing my name to B.T." He nodded in satisfaction. "That way, I can keep both names." He beamed at Caesar.

Caesar beamed right back at him. "I like it! Yet another brilliant solution from a brilliant mind! B.T. it is!" He motioned to the main screen which now showed Benjamin's reaping photo. The letters to his name shattered in an explosive animation, and a hand brought down a rubber stamp. When the stamp lifted, his name read "Beetee Latier". Benjamin started to say something about the misspelling, but decided to let it go. It wasn't that big of a deal, and he found that he kind of liked the new spelling.

A buzzer sounded, signaling that their time was up. They both stood up and faced the audience, Caesar addressing them in his usual jubilant manner. "Let's give it up for Beetee Latier! The victor of the forty-second annual Hunger Games!"


	52. Character Theme Reveal: SPOILERS!

As I said in the beginning, characters submitted for this story consist of both user submissions and characters I submitted myself. I've dropped hints all throughout the story, some more obvious than others. With a couple of exceptions, the characters I submitted are basically the ones associated with Austin's club. The characters themselves were all based on characters from my favorite anime! I think anime gets a bad rap, but it has some of the most interesting stories and characters I've ever encountered. The clues wouldn't be obvious unless you'd seen that anime, of course, but if there was a certain character that you really liked, you should really check that anime out. Youtube is a pretty good resource for this- just type in the character's name and the anime and you'll get a million results plus or minus ten thousand. That said, here is a list of the characters I injected into the story and the anime that character is from:

* * *

 **1M: Ajax Manzinar**  
 **Based on:** Hyuuga Neji  
 **Anime:** Naruto

* * *

 **4M: Ian Sinclair**  
 **Based on:** Yomotsu Hirasaka, the 12th diary holder  
 **Anime:** Future Diary

* * *

 **5F: Helen Foster**  
 **Based on:** Momoko Koigakubu  
 **Anime:** Ghost Stories (English dub)

* * *

 **5M: Edward Appledelhi**  
 **Based on:** Ryuuji Takasu  
 **Anime:** Toradora!

* * *

 **6F: May Stein**  
 **Based on:** Mayuri "Mayushi" Shiina  
 **Anime:** Steins;Gate

* * *

 **7F: Hannah Berrybell**  
 **Based on:** Hinaichigo, the 6th of the Rozen Maiden dolls  
 **Anime:** Rozen Maiden

* * *

 **7M: Austin Tindle**  
 **Based on:** Karma Akabane  
 **Anime:** Assassination Classroom

* * *

 **8F: June Lee**  
 **Based on:** Shinku, the 5th of the Rozen Maiden dolls  
 **Anime:** Rozen Maiden

* * *

 **8M: Joel Holystone**  
 **Based on:** Jacuzzi Splot  
 **Anime:** Baccano!

* * *

 **9F: Zephyr Karbowski**  
 **Based on:** Mikoto Misaka  
 **Anime:** A Certain Scientific Railgun / A Certain Magical Index

* * *

 **9M: Arnold Jaeger**  
 **Based on:** Armin Arlert  
 **Anime:** Attack on Titan

* * *

 **10F: Anna Myosotis**  
 **Based on:** Honma "Menma" Meiko  
 **Anime:** Anohana

* * *

 **12F: Jade Stone**  
 **Based on:** Suiseiseki, the 3rd of the Rozen Maiden dolls  
 **Anime:** Rozen Maiden

* * *

 **12M: Rocco Bonnaro**  
 **Based on:** Rocco Bonnaro  
 **Anime:** Cowboy Bebop


	53. Character Hints by Chapter: SPOILERS!

**Note:** For the (Youtube:xxx) links, just go to a random youtube video, then copypaste the "xxx" after the "v="

* * *

 **Names:**

 **Ajax Manzinar -** This name doesn't mean anything. It was a placeholder for someone who never submitted a character, so I submitted one instead. I was actually halfway through writing the first part (Worlds Collide) before I settled on Neji as this character's doppelganger. **  
Ian Sinclair -** Ian Sinclair is the American voice actor for the Yomotsu in  Future Diary.  
 **Helen Foster -** This name was also a meaningless placeholder for someone who didn't submit a character.  
 **Edward Appledelhi -** The names "Edward" and "Appledelhi" refer the the character "Ed" from Cowboy Bebop. Originally, I intended to make this a male version of Ed, but I couldn't make it work. I ended up using Rocco as the character from Cowboy Bebop instead, but I kept the name for Ryuuji. **  
May Stein -** The name "May Stein" is a combination of the character's first name and the name of the anime she is in,  Steins;Gate.  
 **Hannah Berrybell -** "Berrybell" is the name of Hinaichigo's artificial spirit. **  
Austin Tindle -** Austin Tindle is the American voice actor for Karma Akabane in Assassination Classroom. **  
June Lee -** In  Rozen Maiden, "Jun" is the name of Shinku's medium.  
 **Joel Holystone -** Joel's last name is the same as Jacuzzi Splot's love interest in Baccano!, Nice Holystone **.  
Zephyr Karbowski - **Rina Karbowski is the voice actor for Mikoto Misaka in the English dubbed version of the Toaru series, and I've always wanted a character named "Zephyr". It's one of my favorite names. **  
Arnold Jaeger -** The debatably main character of Attack on Titan is Eren "Jaeger", and "Arnold" just sounds like "Armin". **  
Anna Myosotis -** The full title of Anohana in Japanese roughly translates to "I don't remember the name of the flower we saw that day". The flowers in question are forget-me-nots, which make up the genus "Myosotis".  
 **Jade Stone -** Suiseiseki's name literally translates to "Jade Stone" or "Jade Star".  
 **Rocco Bonnaro -** This is literally the character's name. He shows up for one episode of Cowboy Bebop, session eight, "Waltz for Venus".

* * *

 **Chapter 10: June  
**

\- At the very beginning of episode 5 of Baccano!, Jacuzzi is being held at gunpoint by a group of mobsters. As he's backed into a corner, he begs them to settle this peacefully as he starts crying. The badass mobsters tell him that his crying is ruining their fun, and Jacuzzi complains that "it's not crying! It's a nervous condition!" What the mobsters don't realize is that while they have him backed into a corner, Jacuzzi's friends are right behind them waiting for Jacuzzi's okay to take them out. Even though they are threatening to kill him, Jacuzzi doesn't want them to get hurt. Jacuzzi begs the mobsters to back down so his friends won't have to intervene, but they think he's just trying to save himself. The mobsters think he's begging for his life, but really, he is begging for theirs. It is one of my favorite scenes from the show, and one of the reasons I love Jacuzzi's character.  
\- In the same episode of Baccano!, when the Russo family kills some of his friends, Jacuzzi goes on this bank robbing rampage, toting tommy guns in both hand, bawling his eyes out as he tries to take back from the family that took his friends from him. I don't remember who asks him, it was probably Nice, but Jacuzzi's actual quote is: "The times when you want to cry are when you have to try your hardest. That's why I decided I'll cry in general. Then, when I have to shed tears for a time when I really want to cry, my tears would have run dry." When he realizes that it is making Nice uncomfortable, he tells her that "I might have cried a little too much up till now. So I've decided that the amount I cried counts towards you as well. I've cried your half. So even if bad things should happen now, don't cry."  
\- June is the fifth of the Lee sisters, referencing the fact that Shinku is the fifth of the Rozen Maiden dolls.  
\- Joel's scar is a reference to the tattoo across Jacuzzi's face. After Nice's accident, she didn't want to leave her house because her face was burned and scarred, so Jacuzzi got this sword tattooed across the side of his face so that people would stare at him instead of her. Did I mention that I love Jacuzzi's character?  
\- In the first episode of Rozen Maiden, when Shinku first meets her new medium, she sees him as a selfish child. To be fair, he acts like it, but when his dolls jump in to protect him from Suigintou, she has a change of heart. As she explains to him, "Dolls choose their masters. They worked as hard as they did because they wanted to protect (him)". The implication here is that Shinku chose him as well, rather than the other way around. In the English dub, her quote is: "That was promising; promising enough to cultivate at any rate. You should feel honored. I did choose you to be my servant after all."  
\- In Rozen Maiden, Jun wears a rose ring that ties him to Shinku. The rose ring is how she draws power from her medium and is the symbol of their unique bond. This is also where the idea of June's "contract" comes from. I tied it to marriage so that she and Silica would have something in common.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Austin**

\- In Rozen Maiden, the green alligator plushie is technically one of Jun's many dolls, but it makes several appearances as a plot device, most notably in the episode when Hinaichigo and Suiseiseki fight over who ate the last strawberry. Hinaichigo is sometimes seen lugging the thing around, but it otherwise doesn't have a very significant part in the series.  
\- The physical descriptions of the characters that Austin witnesses are actual physical descriptions of the characters they are based on.

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Silica III**

\- "To live is to fight" is one of Shinku's mottos. I brought it up here, as well as several more times in later chapters.  
\- This reference is a little more obscure. I pulled three characters from Rozen Maiden because the two stories have such great parallels. In Rozen Maiden, the seven dolls are destined to fight each other in the "Alice Game" to become the ultimate perfect doll, named "Alice". They each struggle with knowing what they must do to win their creator's love, but they are all sisters and don't really want to hurt each other. In the end, they do, and it's awful and horrible, but the struggles they go through are so much better and deeper than that boring, bland nonsense portrayed by Katniss. It's not like _she_ had to kill Rue. IMHO, Hunger Games is kind of bland and lame, but that's why I write these fanfics; I write it how I think it should have been written. The first season of  Rozen Maiden ends with a duel between the two powerhouses, Shinku and Suiginto. Shinku eventually wins, but the victory is stale. Nobody celebrates, and it doesn't even feel like a victory because Suiginto isn't really evil, she is just misunderstood, and you can't help but feel bad for her. Though Shinku was motivated by honor to participate in the Alice Game, it is not until she actually kills her sister that she realizes the gravity of her actions. The scene is just so heart-wrenching. I mean, sure Rue gets stabbed, but it's such a pretty death and so very unrealistic. Shinku has to stand there and watch as Suiginto, her own sister, literally falls apart in front of her, all the while lamenting how she just wanted her creator to love her, and was that too much to ask for? By the second season, Shinku swears off killing ever again, even if it means her own death. (Youtube:AS2RuKM_co4)

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Austin II  
**

\- In A Certain Scientific Railgun, during the Sisters story arc, one of the biggest struggles that Mikoto Misaka faces is the daunting, probably impossible task of shutting down Project Radio Noise. She has tremendous power, and she uses all of it to the fullest extent she can, but it never seems to be enough. To make things worse, she feels guilty that every single day she fails to shut the project down, several more people are killed in the ongoing experiment. Her friends want to help her, but Misaka refuses to let them know all the struggles she is going through because she doesn't want them dragged down with her. At the same time, her friends are worried about her, because she's wearing herself out and all they want to do is help. She doesn't want them to know about the suffering she is going through; she doesn't want them to pity her. It takes almost the full story arc for her to eventually realize that she is not helping her friends by shutting them out, and that her friends can handle themselves just as well as she can. They're not helping her because she needs help; they are helping her because they _want_ to help. She has been underestimating all of them. Even Saten, who has no special abilities, can be a terror when given a baseball bat. When she finally tells them what is going on, they all rally behind her, and they finish together what Misaka could never have hoped to accomplish on her own.  
\- The name of the anime Toradora! is actually a portmanteau of "tora", Japanese for "tiger", and the first two syllables of the adapted word "doragon". This is a reference to two of the characters, Ryuuji Takasu (the dragon) and Taiga Aisaka (the tiger). Ryuuji is often mistaken for a delinquent simply because he has a scary resting face that he blames his father for giving him. It's funny, because he's actually not like that at all, but everyone is terrified of him anyway.  
\- Helen... oh dear. My apologies. My roommate challenged me to put Momoko into my story, and I gladly accepted. Basically anything that Helen says is a direct quote from somewhere in Ghost Stories. I cannot make this stuff up. No joke, those are actually the words she says in the anime, at least the English dubbed version. Don't believe me? Here ya go: (Youtube:SxJ4VWoeOzs&t=11s)

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Austin III  
**

\- The alligator of truth is a plot device used in episode 5 of Rozen Maiden. During the stairway standoff, Jun tosses down Hinaichigo's alligator plushie, explaining that "this here alligator is the alligator of truth. If you're a liar and you stick your hand in its mouth, it will chew it right up! So if what you've been saying is really the truth, you won't have a problem sticking your creepy little doll hand in its mouth, will you now?"  
\- Austin claims that he will have a "nice fair fight" with Jason, knowing that he is about to kick a chair at him. It is the same approach, minus the chair, that Karma Akabane uses in episode 20 of Assassination Classroom when going up against the trained assassin Ansatsu "Grip" Kyoushitsu. In the same manner, once he has outsmarted him, he calls for the help of his classmates to help hold him down. Oh, and then he shoves wasabi up his nose. Yeah, that actually happens. (Youtube:0mwP010K5P8)

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Rocco**

\- Armin has a lot of great quotes that I probably could have dropped without anyone noticing, because Attack on Titan also deals with struggling against an unbeatable force in an unwinnable war. The quote I use here is actually one of Erwin's, but the idea is the same. The actual quote is: "If we only focus on making the best moves, we will never get the better of our opponents. When necessary, we must willing to take the big risks, and be prepared to lose everything."  
\- I had to pull out my manga books for this one. Several quotes I want to make you aware of from the Assassination Classroom manga: "People with talent often have the wrong impression that things will go as they think" is one of Karma's quotes, but I don't remember exactly when he says it. I just remember it, because it is true, and something worth remembering and it really fits Karma's character. "Strength and weakness can't be determined by sight alone." is a quote made by Korosensei. "Even the weak can take down a massive force in one blow, if they aim carefully." is a quote made by Sugino Tomohito in ch. 34. _  
_\- Austin's fighting style is based on the teachings of Bruce Lee (Youtube:APx2yFA0-B4). The whole scene with Austin and Rocco is adapted from session eight of Cowboy Bebop, "Waltz for Venus", when Spike tries to show Rocco the shortcomings in his fighting style. It was one of the most obvious hint drops I made throughout these chapters. (Youtube:eiPj113eka0)  
\- This isn't a hint drop, but I want to say that the argument between Austin and Zephyr wasn't planned at all. It just kind of happened, because that is exactly what Misaka and Karma would argue about if they were dropped into this situation together. How they deal with each other is exactly how Karma and Misaka would argue. It just flowed, and even reading it now, I can see Misaka and Karma eye to eye, except that if it really were Misaka, Karma would have been electrocuted long before June's comment.  
\- Armin's actual quote is "To surpass monsters, you must be willing to abandon your humanity." or "To endure becoming a monster you have to discard your humanity." depending on your source. In Attack on Titan, the quote is in reference to Eren's choice to become a titan in order to fight the titans. In this story, it is in reference to their decision to become a murdering pack in order to defeat the murdering pack.  
\- The biggest hint drop I made for Jade's character is Suiseiseki's quote in Rozen Maiden: "If we can express our sadness in words, someone can come and try to comfort us. But there is sadness that we cannot express that we must overcome on our own." Jade says it in reference to June, which is true in this case, but in the Rozen Maiden manga (and the show), she says it in reference to the sadness of Jun, Shinku's medium.

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Jason  
**

\- In Steins;Gate, Mayushi tells everyone that she is Okarin's "hostage". When she tells Christina, it freaks her out because she thinks Okarin is abusing her or something, but Mayushi says that she is a "willing hostage". (Youtube:eclXKb0-d68)  
\- May's idiom about ghosts is kinda sorta based on a speech from Toradora! that Minori gives Ryuuji one night at Ami's beach house. The whole speech is: "Have you ever seen a ghost? I believe ghosts exist even though I've never actually seen one and I don't believe people who claim they have. And this applies to something else. I believe I'll fall in love one day, get married, and live happily ever after, even though I've never actually felt that way about anyone. It's like I live in a different world from the people who fall in love so naturally. Since I've never seen it before, maybe ghosts don't exist either. I've nearly given up on ever seeing one. Do you believe in ghosts?"

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Zephyr**

\- "Being all alone is so boring. Now I've got fun stuff all over the place!", then "Are you for real?", as well as the response, "I am the realest!" is an actual exchange that takes place between Jintan and Menma in Anohana.  
\- The whole "club name" exchange is a throwback to Angel Beats. (Youtube:V5ANKdeVOgM) The story here is that I originally planned to include some characters from Angel Beats, but they didn't quite make the cut. Originally, Zephyr was going to be based on Yuri Nakamura (Youtube:RVoXRNqYgGE) and Austin was going to be based on Yuzuru Otonashi. If my roommate hadn't challenged me to add Momoko, Helen would have been based on Angel / Kanade Tachibana (Youtube:ij-EwkzW0OI)  
\- Zephyr as the third best kick-boxer references Mikoto Misaka's status as the third ranked level 5 esper in Academy City.  
\- Speaking of kickboxing, that whole idea came from Misaka's encounter with a certain stubborn vending machine. (Youtube:AUeldnNEnXk&t=35s)

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Caleb**

\- The opening bit with Anna's barrier is pulled straight out of Anohana, except replace Caleb with Jintan.  
\- Anna's token is a blue bookmark. First of all, the opening title to Anohana is "Aoi Shiori", which translates to "blue bookmark". I won't ruin the story, because I love it and I want you to love it too, but the whole series Anohana is adapted from the old tale about the knight and the flower that Anna is talking about.  
\- Zephyr's token is a quarter she stuck in an electric outlet. The story itself is more or less a true one that happened to a friend of mine that tried to stick a quarter in her outlet when she was a kid. The quarter itself is a reference to one of Misaka's abilities in the Toaru series, where she can use her electromagnetic ability to fire a quarter at about three times the speed of sound. It's how she got the nickname, "The Railgun of Tokiwadai" and a lot of the reason she is considered the third most powerful esper in Academy City (Youtube:z7yr7IqHfYg).  
\- I think I've mentioned enough about the alligator, but the name refers to the Kun-Kun, main character of the detective series that all the dolls like to watch in Rozen Maiden.  
\- "My, what a gifted seamstress you are. I hope you're not a homosexual." Yes, this is actually one of Momoko's actual lines in the actual anime, Ghost Stories.  
\- Jade's watering can is a reference to the weapon that Suiseiseki uses in Rozen Maiden. It's a weird attack- she waters the ground and vines pop out to strangle her opponent. Souseiseki, her twin sister, uses a pair of pruning shears (Youtube:mBiRh9mCDbE&t=739s).  
\- Rocco's token is a plant in a jar. In the eighth session of Cowboy Bebop (for some reason it has sessions, not episodes, though it is very musically oriented and the soundtrack is stellar. One of the best openings in all of anime. Ok, 3, 2, 1, let's jam...), "Waltz for Venus", Rocco steals a plant kept stored in a sealed jar that will cure his sister's blindness.

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Arnold**

\- "My eyes are up here", Zephyr pointed. HA! This isn't a reference, but it made me laugh in the middle of the public library when I wrote it. It's funny because it is _exactly_ what would happen. I didn't want it to go over your heads :-)  
\- Armin never had to make decisions about what to do in a Hunger Games arena, but he is a brilliant tactician. If he did have to navigate a Hunger Games bloodbath, I'd like to think that this is exactly how he would go about it. He would think of every little detail and do all the research he could before coming to any conclusions, seeing things that nobody else would think of to even look for, like the correlation between head gamemaker and the supposedly random distribution. Konstance is also like this in a lot of ways, and I think Haymitch is too. They are the kind of people that never forget that they are in an arena controlled by gamemakers, and that the special rules apply when you are in the arena that wouldn't necessarily apply elsewhere.

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Hannah**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Jason II**

\- In Steins;Gate, Mayushi has a habit of reaching her had up toward the sun in what Okarin calls her "stardust handshake". May's explanation of her situation with Jason is closely related to Mayushi's situation with Okarin.  
\- When Jason decides that he is going to leave the group, June and Jade have very different reactions. These are similar to those exhibited in Rozen Maiden when Souseiseki, Suiseiseki's twin sister, decides to leave them all and participate in the Alice Game. June feels that she should be able to make her own choices, while Suiseiseki feels that it is her duty as the older sister to lead Souseiseki down the proper path. Jason and Austin act as their foils, taking the roles of Souseiseki and Jun respectively (Youtube:K-h0WgDGb18&t=969s).  
\- At the end of the final training session, Anna writes a personal note to each person. This is what Menma did during the last game of hide and seek in Anohana. I'm not going to spoil that one for you, because that last game of hide and seek is such a great ending.

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Arnold II**

\- "Nothing fancy. Just finish the job." In the very first episode of Attack on Titan, these words are spoken by Hannes during the fall of Shinganshina, just before we encounter our first titan. Hannes himself has never seen a titan before, and he's all riled up to take it down in classic over-the-top anime violence until he turns the corner and sees the thing towering over him, staring right down at him. You expect him to go all anime badass, but just seeing the thing stops Hannes in his tracks, and he's all like nope nope nope nope, then turns and runs. I didn't use this as a character hint so much as a foreshadowing of what was about to happen. To be fair, my entire idea for this bloodbath was inspired partially by the fifth episode of Attack on Titan. If you've seen it, then you'll understand. If you haven't, then go watch the series- it is absolutely worth it.

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Austin IV**

\- Rocco Bonnaro, the poor thing. How he dies in this chapter is more or less the same way that he dies in Cowboy Bebop, except with guns instead of knives.

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Silica IV**

\- June's last words to Silica is one of Shinku's most well-known quotes. She says it to Jun when they arrive within the world of his dreams, and he looks around, amazed at the crumbling ruins within his own mind. The entire quote is "This is what's inside your heart right now. A sky that has become this lovely will not always remain sunny. There will be times when rain will fall and storms will carry on. The scenery will change, but if it is left alone, it will stay changed forever. For that, you must continue to fight, because that is to live. To live is to fight." I meant to drop her other famous one when speaking to Joel, but I don't think I ever did. It goes: "There is bravery in you. It takes guts to be able to look squarely at your weaknesses."

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Joel**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Ian**


End file.
